Not Detected

CD/DVD Drive Not Detected



Before Windows can see your Drive, it first has to appear in the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). When getting error messages from Windows that state the CD or DVD drive is not detected, check to make sure it appears in the BIOS. Here's how:

1. Boot up your PC.

2. At the first logo screen, press F1 repeatedly until you see the BIOS setup screen.

3. Using the left and right arrows to navigate, select Main (usually at the top left).

4. The CD or DVD Drive name should be listed next to Primary Slave, Secondary Slave or Secondary Master.

5. Navigate to Exit and exit without saving changes.

If it is listed in the BIOS but the CD/DVD Drive no longer functions, then a ribbon cable could have come loose. If that is not the case either, try uninstalling the device in Device Manager. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System>> Hardware tab>> Device Manager button.

2. In Device Manager, locate and expand the entry titled "DVD/CD-ROM drives".

3. Right click the appropriate drive and select "Uninstall" from the resulting menu.

4. When prompted, confirm that you would like to remove the selected device.

5. At the "Action" menu, select "Scan for hardware changes".

6. Click out of the Device Manager and the Control Panel.

If none of the above has worked, it is likely that your CD or DVD Drive no longer functions. Replace the drive with a compatible drive. See your manufactures web site for details.

Read More

Reboot

Reboot Windows XP


1. Search for the button on CPU Box.

2. There are usually two buttons- One for Switch ON/OFF the computer and second one for rebooting the computer.

3. Press the second button for rebooting and wait till the computer starts again.

Read More

Backup

Backup Windows XP


Windows XP Professional comes equipped with its own backup tool. While there are many 3rd party software that will perform this operation too, Windows XP's is just fine. If you are a Windows XP Home user, follow the steps outlined below.

>>Installing Windows Backup Utility in Windows XP Home Edition:

1. Insert the Windows XP Installation CD in to your CD drive.

2. Select "Perform Additional Tasks" from the XP Welcome screen.

3. Select, "Browse this CD".

4. You will now be taken in to Windows Explorer. From here, you will need to double click on the following folders: ValueAdd>> Msft>> Ntbackup.

5. With the Ntbackup folder open, double click the file titled: Ntbackup.msi

The Windows XP Backup Utility will now be installed on to your Windows Application.

>>Using Windows XP Backup Utility:

To access the Windows XP Backup Utility, go to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> Backup.

Or- you can simply go to Start>> Run. Type in: ntback [Enter] or click OK.

Once you've started the Backup Wizard you will be taken to an opening page. Just select Next here and then select "Backup Files and Settings" from the following page and then click Next again. You should now be at the "Backup or Restore Wizard. Here, you are faced with a few choices of what you would like to backup. the choices are:


backup windows xp

* My documents and settings:
This is a good choice for a single user. This will backup your email messages to include your address book, personal Windows registry settings and all data files.

* Everyone's documents and settings:
If you share your computer with a few other people that have their own personalized settings, this would be a good backup choice.

* All information on this computer:
In making this selection, you will be backing up every stitch of information that resides on your Windows XP application. Depending on the amount of software you have installed, this backup could encompass many gigabytes of information. This is not a good backup choice as it is pretty much a waste of time and space.

* Let me choose what to backup:
This is a good selection for people that have a good backup strategy in mind. Once you've selected this option, you will be taken to an "Items to backup" page that lists all of the available backup options for your Windows Application. It really is a very simple task in selecting, because all you have to do is place a checkmark adjacent to the item you wish to backup. So, if you have a backup strategy, this would be the preferred option.

Once you've made your selection of which backup procedure to use, click Next.

>>Deciding where to backup your files:

Windows XP will save all of your backup information to single file and by default, it will attempt to save it to your floppy drive. Obviously, this isn't going to be a location that any of you will be interested in, so you will need to select the "Browse" option to browse for your destination of choice. My backup destination of choice is to a USB thumb drive. It is always best to place your backup in a removable media of some sort.

After the backup destination has been selected, enter a name for the backup file and then click Next.


backup windows xp

You should now be at the final page of the Backup Wizard. From here, you can perform these backups automatically in different intervals. To set this up, click the "Advanced" button. If you are not interested in scheduling your backups, just click "Finish" and your selected backup will begin.

Good job! You now a have a good working copy of the selected files in case something goes wrong with your Windows XP installation.

Read More

Clean

Clean Windows XP ?


1. Click the "Start" menu button to open the Start menu.

2. Click "Run."

3. Type "regedit" into the text field and press "Enter."

4. Access the many different entries in your Windows XP registry. It is separated into primary sections: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS and HKEY_CURRENT CONFIG. Each section contains a different set of entries related to different aspects of Windows XP operation.

5. Click on one of the plus-signs (+) next to one of the root directories, opening a more detailed list. This second level will have more directories to choose from, and will make it easier for you to find entries you need to clean the registry.

6. Delete entries in the registry that you know are either causing conflicts or are no longer necessary. Do this by pressing the "Delete" key, or by right-clicking on your mouse and choosing "Delete entry."

7. Invest in a third-party registry application to help you clean your Windows XP registry. Several programs are available that do the dirty work for you. Some even include backup capabilities to retrace their steps in the event of a critical error.

8. Clean your boot records by changing which programs load themselves at startup. Click through both the LOCAL_MACHINE and CURRENT_USER directories until you reach Software/Microsoft/Windows/Run and RunOnce. From here, you can clean out registry entries that are causing certain programs to run on startup.

Read More

Windows XP

Windows XP

Windows XP is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. The name "XP" is short for "experience".

Windows XP is the successor to both Windows 2000 Professional and Windows Me, and is the first consumer-oriented operating system produced by Microsoft to be built on the Windows NT kernel and architecture. Windows XP was first released on 25 October 2001, and over 400 million copies were in use in January 2006, according to an estimate in that month by an IDC analyst. It is succeeded by Windows Vista, which was released to volume license customers on 8 November 2006, and worldwide to the general public on 30 January 2007. Direct OEM and retail sales of Windows XP ceased on 30 June 2008, although it is still possible to obtain Windows XP from System Builders (smaller OEMs who sell assembled computers) until 31 July 2009 or by purchasing Windows Vista Ultimate or Business and then downgrading to Windows XP.

The most common editions of the operating system are Windows XP Home Edition, which is targeted at home users, and Windows XP Professional, which offers additional features such as support for Windows Server domains and two physical processors, and is targeted at power users, business and enterprise clients.

Windows XP Media Center Edition has additional multimedia features enhancing the ability to record and watch TV shows, view DVD movies, and listen to music. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is designed to run ink-aware applications built using the Tablet PC platform. Two separate 64-bit versions of Windows XP were also released, Windows XP 64-bit Edition for IA-64 (Itanium) processors and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition for x86-64. There is also Windows XP Embedded, a componentized version of the Windows XP Professional, and editions for specific markets such as Windows XP Starter Edition.

Read More