What to Do When Windows Gets Really Messed Up

Even when Windows routinely gives you the Blue Screen of Death, all may not be lost. We'll show you how to restore both your data and your sanity.

"To err is human," the old joke goes. "But to really mess things up requires a computer."

This Answer Line collection concentrates on the absolute disasters of Windows computing--the problems that threaten your PC, your career, and your peace of mind. Here's what to do when Windows throws the dreaded Blue Screen of Death your way, and how to restore your OS even if you've lost the original restore CD.

To regain some of your own peace of mind, join the community in our Answer Line forum or send your technology questions to answer@pcworld.com.

Why Does My PC Keep Dying With a Blue Screen of Death?

Gael Busson, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

What's worse than the sudden, unexpected appearance of a blue screen filled with white text? Recurring appearances of blue screens filled with white text. The fewer times you have to read the maddeningly passive-voice observation "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down…," the better.
Microsoft calls these freeze-frame moments "stop errors," but everyone else uses a much more descriptive title: The Blue Screen of Death (BSoD). They occur whenever Windows senses a problem that won't let it operate properly.

When you encounter a BSoD, there's not much you can do except mourn your lost data (whatever was in memory but not yet saved to disk), reboot your machine, and go on with your life. If you start getting them regularly, however, you have a problem that must be addressed.

The question is, what's causing the problem?

Believe it or not, BSoD screens actually contain some useful information--albeit not much. The next time your monitor and mood suddenly turn blue, grab a pen and a sheet of paper and jot these items down before rebooting:

• The problem description: Write down whatever text appears between the boilerplate first paragraph ("A problem has been detected…") and the one that begins "If this is the first time…"
•ï¿½Technical details: Write down everything that appears under the heading 'Technical information'.

Once you've rebooted, use your favorite Internet search engine to find pages that mention both BSoD and some of the terms that you jotted down. The statement in all caps with underlines instead of spaces will likely be useful here.

If a Web search doesn't yield helpful information, ask yourself what has changed on your PC lately. Did you add hardware or update a driver just before the problem became common?

Bad drivers often give Windows the blues. If you recently updated a driver, try reverting to an older version. Here's how:

1. Select Start, Run (in Vista, Run is enough), type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
2. Double-click the device in question, click the Driver tab, and then click the Roll Back Driver button.

Conversely, if you recently added new hardware to your system, installing a more recent version of the driver may fix the problem. Check the vendor's Web site to see whether there's an update.

A bad RAM module is another potential cause of BSoDs. You can test your modules easily with Memtest 86, a free program downloadable at Memtest.org. Memtest isn't a Windows program, and you must boot it before running it. You can download it as a CD image .iso file. Nero, Easy Media, and other disc-authoring programs can easily burn this .iso file into a bootable CD. Once you've burned the CD, boot and see whether Memtest finds any problems.

Overheating is another common culprit. Check your computer's air vents for blockage. If you have a desktop, open it and use an air canister to remove any dust you find. (If you have a laptop, check with your vendor to see whether you can clean out dust without resorting to professional intervention.)

And while your desktop is open, check the internal connections to confirm that all of them are firmly attached. A loose connection is yet another possible cause of Blue Screens of Death.

As with virtually every other major Windows problem, the fault may lie not in your hardware, but in your Registry. If you can, use System Restore to return that great compendium of necessities and problems to the state it was in on a date before the problem arose.

Or you can try running a Registry cleaner. As I have in the past, I recommend ToniArts' free EasyCleaner and ChemTable's $40 Reg Organizer for this purpose.

If all else fails, back up your data and take your PC to a professional. It's OK to admit that you can't fix some things yourself.

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Calibrate the notebook PC battery

Short discharges and recharges do not fully synchronize the battery's fuel gauge with the battery's state-of-charge. This can result in the amount of power available in one cycle being less than expected or the battery meter being inaccurate.

Under normal usage, batteries should be calibrated a minimum of once every 3 months. Your battery can be calibrated by following these steps:

Step 1 - Disable the Windows Power Management

• In Windows, right-click the Desktop and select Properties in the menu list.
• Click the Screen Saver tab and then click the Power button.
• Under Power schemes, select Always On in the drop down menu.
• Under Settings for Always On power scheme, select Never in each of the drop down menus.
• Click OK on the Power Options Properties window and then click OK on the Display Properties window.

Step 2 - Fully charge the battery

• Connect the AC adapter to the notebook.
• Charge the battery until the Windows battery meter is at 100%.

Step 3 - Fully discharge the battery

• Remove the AC adapter.
• Keep the notebook on until the battery has completely drained and the notebook automatically turns off.
• Connect the AC adapter to the notebook.
• Keep the AC adapter connected to the notebook until the battery has completely charged.

Step 4 - Enable the Windows Power Management

• In Windows, right-click the Desktop and select Properties in the menu list.
• Click the Screen Saver tab and then click the Power button.
• Under Power schemes, select Portable/Laptop in the drop down menu.
• Click OK on the Power Options Properties window and then click OK on the Display Properties window.

Note: After completing the steps above, your notebook PC battery will be calibrated.

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Backup MySQL databases, from web server files to a FTP server automatically

This is a simple backup solution for people who run their own web server and MySQL server on a dedicated box or VPS. Most dedicated hosting provider provides the backup service using NAS or FTP servers. These service providers will hook you to their redundant centralized storage array over private VLAN. Since I manage couple of boxes, here is my own automated solution. If you just want a shell script, go here (you just need to provided appropriate input and it will generate FTP backup script for you on fly).

Making incremental backups with tar

You can make tape backups. However, sometime tape is not an option. GNU tar allows you to make incremental backups with -g option. For example following command will make incremental backup of /var/www/html, /home, and /etc directories:
# tar -g /var/log/tar-incremental.log -zcvf /backup/today.tar.gz /var/www/html /home /etc

Where,

• -g: Create/list/extract new GNU-format incremental backup and store information to /var/log/tar-incremental.log file.

Making MySQL databases backup

mysqldump is a client program for dumping or backing up mysql databases, tables and data. For example following command displays the list of databases:
$ mysql -u root -h localhost -p -Bse 'show databases'

Output:

Enter password:
brutelog
cake
faqs
mysql
phpads
snews
test
tmp
van
wp

Now you can backup each database with mysqldump command:
$ mysqldump -u root -h localhost -pmypassword faqs | gzip -9 > faqs-db.sql.gz

A simple backup system plan

The main advantage of using FTP or NAS backup is a protection from data loss. You can use various protocols to backup data:

1. FTP
2. SSH
3. RSYNC
4. Other Commercial solutions

However, I am going to write about FTP backup solution here. The idea is as follows:

• Make full backup every Sunday night i.e. backup everything every Sunday
• Next backup only those files that has been modified since the full backup (incremental backup)
  This is a seven-day backup cycle.

Our sample setup

   Your-server     ===>       ftp/nas server
IP:202.54.1.10   ===>       208.111.2.5

Let us assume that your ftp details are as follows:

• FTP server IP: 208.111.2.5
• FTP Username: nixcraft
• FTP Password: somepassword
• FTP Directory: /home/nixcraft (or /)

You will store data as follows:
=> /home/nixcraft/full/mm-dd-yy/files - Full backup
=> /home/nixcraft/incremental/mm-dd-yy/files - Incremental backup

Automating tasks of backup with tar

Now you know how to backup files and mysql databases using tar and mysqldump commands respectively. It is time to write a shell script that will automate entire procedure.

1. First script will collect all data from both MySQL database server and from file system to temporary directory called /backup using tar command
2. Next, script will login to ftp server and create a directory structure as discussed above
3. Script will dump all files from /backup to ftp server
4. Script will remove temporary backup from /backup
5. Script will send you an email notification if ftp backups failed due to any reason.

You must have following command installed:

• ncftp ftp client
• mysqldump command
• GNU tar command

Here is the sample script:

#!/bin/sh
# System + MySQL backup script
# Full backup day - Sun (rest of the day do incremental backup)
# Copyright (c) 2005-2006 nixCraft
# This script is licensed under GNU GPL version 2.0 or above
# Automatically generated by http://bash.cyberciti.biz/backup/wizard-ftp-script.php
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
### System Setup ###
DIRS="/home /etc /var/www"
BACKUP=/tmp/backup.$$
NOW=$(date +"%d-%m-%Y")
INCFILE="/root/tar-inc-backup.dat"
DAY=$(date +"%a")
FULLBACKUP="Sun"
### MySQL Setup ###
MUSER="admin"
MPASS="mysqladminpassword"
MHOST="localhost"
MYSQL="$(which mysql)"
MYSQLDUMP="$(which mysqldump)"
GZIP="$(which gzip)"
### FTP server Setup ###
FTPD="/home/vivek/incremental"
FTPU="vivek"
FTPP="ftppassword"
FTPS="208.111.11.2"
NCFTP="$(which ncftpput)"
### Other stuff ###
EMAILID="admin@theos.in"
### Start Backup for file system ###
[ ! -d $BACKUP ] && mkdir -p $BACKUP || :
### See if we want to make a full backup ###
if [ "$DAY" == "$FULLBACKUP" ]; then
FTPD="/home/vivek/full"
FILE="fs-full-$NOW.tar.gz"
tar -zcvf $BACKUP/$FILE $DIRS
else
i=$(date +"%Hh%Mm%Ss")
FILE="fs-i-$NOW-$i.tar.gz"
tar -g $INCFILE -zcvf $BACKUP/$FILE $DIRS
fi
### Start MySQL Backup ###
# Get all databases name
DBS="$($MYSQL -u $MUSER -h $MHOST -p$MPASS -Bse 'show databases')"
for db in $DBS
do
FILE=$BACKUP/mysql-$db.$NOW-$(date +"%T").gz
$MYSQLDUMP -u $MUSER -h $MHOST -p$MPASS $db | $GZIP -9 > $FILE
done
### Dump backup using FTP ###
#Start FTP backup using ncftp
ncftp -u"$FTPU" -p"$FTPP" $FTPS<
mkdir $FTPD
mkdir $FTPD/$NOW
cd $FTPD/$NOW
lcd $BACKUP
mput *
quit
EOF
### Find out if ftp backup failed or not ###
if [ "$?" == "0" ]; then
rm -f $BACKUP/*
else
T=/tmp/backup.fail
echo "Date: $(date)">$T
echo "Hostname: $(hostname)" >>$T
echo "Backup failed" >>$T
mail -s "BACKUP FAILED" "$EMAILID" <$T rm -f $T fi

Setup a cron job

Just add a cron job as per your requirements:
13 0 * * * /home/admin/bin/ftpbackup.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

Generate FTP backup script

Since I setup many Linux boxes, here is my own FTP backup script generator. You just need to provided appropriate input and it will generate FTP backup script for you on fly.

Next time I will write more about this method.

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How to Make an Iron Man Costume

The popularity of the new Iron Man movie in theaters means you'll see a lot of Iron Man costumes this Halloween. If you're having a party, going to a party or trick-or-treating around the block, you'll want to be wearing your own fabulous homemade Iron Man costume.

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Yellow long-sleeved t-shirt
• Yellow spandex pants or leggings
• Red turtleneck or red short-sleeved t-shirt
• Red bike shorts
• Red spandex fabric to match bike shorts
• Red boots (optional)
• Yellow socks (optional)

Step1

Cut the sleeves off the t-shirt to begin making this costume. Then, cut the sides out of the shirt. Place the red shirt over the yellow shirt. You will wear both layers at once. Sew or glue the red shirt to the outside of the yellow shirt.

Step2

Cut the legs off the red bike shorts to make them look like Iron Man's. You will wear these over the yellow pants. If you cannot find yellow spandex pants, leggings will work just as well.

Step3

Wear the red shorts over the yellow pants just as Iron Man does.

Step4

Cut red fabric to go around the bottom of your pants. It should come up to the mid-calf, just like Iron Man's boots. Then, sew or glue it to the pants. Wear the pants with matching yellow socks. As an alternative, you can wear red boots, though you won't need red fabric for the costume's legs if you opt to go that route.

Step5

Measure around the lower sleeves of the yellow t-shirt. Then, cut red fabric to fit around them. Next, sew or glue them to the sleeves of the yellow T-shirt. Alternatively, you can wear red gloves that are long enough to fit up your forearm, like Iron Man.

Step6

Paint your face yellow with the yellow face paint. If you will be wearing a ski mask for a helmet or a store-bought mask, you don't have to bother.

Step7

Keep things really simple by just wearing an Iron Man costume t-shirt with your favorite pair of jeans, like those available from SuperheroStuff.com, StylinOnline.com or 80sTees.com (see Resources below). People will get the idea, and it's a lot less work, although you won't look as authentic.

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3 Steps to Being as Creative as You Can Be

How creative are you right now, compared to how creative you COULD be? If 0 is completely uncreative and 10 is creatively alive and thriving every moment of the day, where would you put yourself on that scale? 9? 7? 2?!

Each of us is unique, and that extends to creativity, too. The way you create, what you create and why you create is your own special combination that no one else can replicate.

There are a great number of ways of becoming more creative. The good news is, you already know most of them.

To get closer to living these creative ways takes a little imagination and a little acting to begin with. So suspend all your thoughts of, “But I can’t..!” and, “But I’m not..!” and follow this simple 3-step exercise.

1. What if you WERE more creative, as creative as you possibly could be? What would that be like? What would you be doing each day? What would be happening around you? How would you be feeling as you created to your full potential? What would you be hearing, what would you be saying to yourself in your thoughts?

   We’ve all had glimpses of being near our creative peak, however briefly. Use this knowledge, as well as trusting your deeper instincts, to write down your ideas as you ponder these questions. Then let them incubate for a day or two and return and answer the questions again.

2. What are the key elements to being creative? What do creative people do each day, what habits do they have in place? What kind of routines or discipline do they have? What do they believe about themselves and their creative abilities? What are their aims and ambitions, what keeps them motivated to create the best they can create?

   Discard any resistance you may have to knowing the answers: The truth is you know the secrets to being creative if you allow them to come to the surface. Write down your ideas and responses to the questions, and again return to them in a day or two and see what else has come to mind.

3. How can you make this work for YOUR creative life? What habits can you develop in your own creativity? What mindset can you take on that will help you be most creative? Which limiting negative ideas and beliefs do you need to weed out and replace with more positive and supportive ones? What steps can you take TODAY towards being more creative?

   Use the knowledge you’ve uncovered from the first two steps to start to apply that to your own unique creative life. What are the key factors in helping yourself become more creative? What are the tiny differences to what you do now that are going to make all the difference?

Follow these 3 steps and you’ll be well on your way to being as creative as you know you can be!

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