Why won't my computer turn on or off quickly?

If your computer seems to shut down slowly (or not at all) or start up slowly, or if it doesn't enter power-saving modes, it's possible that a program or device driver is interfering with Windows power settings. You can use Performance Information and Tools to try to detect these programs or device drivers.



To check for performance issues

1.Click to open Performance Information and Tools.
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Performance Information and Tools


2. In the left pane, click Advanced tools.

3.In Advanced Tools, under Performance issues, click any issues that are listed.

4.Read the information in the dialog box that appears to learn which programs or drivers are causing problems.



If a program or driver prevents your computer from turning on quickly

You can try the following tasks to fix the problem:
Manage the programs that run at startup. Some programs start automatically when you start Windows. Too many of these programs opening at the same time can slow down your computer. To disable these programs from startup and improve performance, use Windows Defender. For more information, see Stop a program from running automatically when Windows starts.



Check with the manufacturer of the program or driver for an update. A newer version of the program might include a resolution to the problem.



If a program or driver prevents your computer from turning off quickly

You can try the following tasks to fix the problem:
Close the program before shutting down. It's possible that the problem occurs only if the program is running. Try closing the program before shutting down Windows, and then see if your computer turns off properly.
Check with the manufacturer of the program or driver for an update. A newer version of the program might include a resolution to the problem.



If these options don't solve the problem, then the program or driver might be incompatible with Windows. If you installed the program or device yourself and you no longer use it, consider removing the device, or uninstalling the program or driver.

In windows 7 you can also Generate a System health report.
This comes in handy to let you know how your PC is doing. If you do one you first get your PC and do one every few motnhs and then you can see how and if your computer is going to crash
you can find it here
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Performance Information and Tools\Advanced Tools

This will run for 60 seconds or longer depending on your system.

In most cases 60 secs is default.

You can check the warnings and follow the links with-in the warnings, Also you can check memory, hard drive and pretty much your whole Computer.
 
Good Luck
Thanks
MD4URPC.com

10 tips to help you with windows 7

1.Minimise quickly with shake If you have multiple windows open on your desktop and things are getting too cluttered, it used to be a time-consuming process to close them all down. In Windows 7 you can use the Aero Shake feature to minimise everything in seconds, using a cool mouse gesture. Grab the title bar of the window you wish to keep open and give it a shake, and rejoice in a clear desktop area.


2. Configure your favourite music
The Windows 7 Media Centre now comes with an option to play your favourite music, which by default creates a changing list of songs based on your ratings, how often you play them, and when they were added (it's assumed you'll prefer songs you've added in the last 30 days). If this doesn't work then you can tweak how Media Centre decides what a "favourite" tune is- click Tasks > Settings > Music > Favourite Music and configure the program to suit your needs.

3. Customise System Restore
There was very little you could do to configure System Restore in Vista, but Windows 7 improves the situation with a couple of useful setup options.

Click the Start orb, right-click Computer and select Properties > System Protection > Configure, and set the Max Usage value to a size that suits your needs (larger to hold more restore points, smaller to save disk space).

And if you don't need System Restore to save Windows settings then choose the "Only restore previous versions of files" option. Windows 7 won't back up your Registry, which means you'll squeeze more restore points and file backups into the available disk space. System Restore is much less likely to get an unbootable PC working again, though, so use this trick at your own risk.

4. Run As
Hold down Shift, right-click any program shortcut, and you'll see an option to run the program as a different user, handy if you're logged in to the kids' limited account and need to run something with higher privileges. This isn't really a new feature - Windows XP had a Run As option that did the same thing - but Microsoft stripped it out of Vista, so it's good to see it's had a change of heart.

5. Search privacy
By default Windows 7 will remember your PC search queries, and display the most recent examples when searching in Windows Explorer. If you're sharing a PC and don't want everyone to see your searches, then launch GPEDIT.MSC, go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer, double-click "Turn off display of recent search entries..." and click Enabled > OK.

6. Tweak PC volume
By default Windows 7 will now automatically reduce the volume of your PC's sounds whenever it detects you're making or receiving PC-based phone calls. If this proves annoying (or maybe you'd like it to turn off other sounds altogether) then you can easily change the settings accordingly. Just right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar, select Sounds > Communications, and tell Windows what you'd like it to do.

7. Rearrange the system tray
With Windows 7 we finally see system tray icons behave in a similar way to everything else on the taskbar. So if you want to rearrange them, then go right ahead, just drag and drop them into the order you like. You can even move important icons outside of the tray, drop them onto the desktop, then put them back when you no longer need to keep an eye on them.

8. Extend your battery life
Windows 7 includes new power options that will help to improve your notebook's battery life. To see them, click Start, type Power Options and click the Power Options link, then click Change Plan Settings for your current plan and select Change Advanced Settings. Expand Multimedia Settings, for instance, and you'll see a new "playing video" setting that can be set to optimise power savings rather than performance. Browse through the other settings and ensure they're set up to suit your needs.

9. Write crash dump files
Windows 7 won't create memory.dmp crash files if you've less than 25GB of free hard drive space, annoying if you've installed the Windows debugging tools and want to diagnose your crashes. You can turn this feature off, though: browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, create a new DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and the crash dump file will now always be saved.

10. Find bottlenecks
From what we've seen so far Windows 7 is already performing better than Vista, but if your PC seems sluggish then it's now much easier to uncover the bottleneck. Click Start, type RESMON and press Enter to launch the Resource Monitor, then click the CPU, Memory, Disk or Network tabs. Windows 7 will immediately show which processes are hogging the most system resources.


The CPU view is particularly useful, and provides something like a more powerful version of Task Manager. If a program has locked up, for example, then right-click its name in the list and select Analyze Process. Windows will then try to tell you why it's hanging - the program might be waiting for another process, perhaps - which could give you the information you need to fix the problem.

To have quik access to Resmon you can make a Desktop shortcut
1. Right click the desktop
2. click on NEW then create shortcut
3. Type in resmon
4. click ok

Help your PC run faster, Vista and windows 7

1. Limit how many programs run at startup


There are a lot of programs that load automatically when you boot up your PC—which can really hamper performance. To manage these programs like a pro, learn how to get a comprehensive view of what's running:
Click the Start button , and type System Configuration in the search window. Select it from the list of results.

2. Select the Startup tab. The files set to run at startup are indicated with a check mark. You can uncheck nonessential programs—but make sure you only disable programs you're familiar with. When in doubt, leave it checked.
A clean machine is a fast machine.

1. Delete things like trial software
2. Anti-virus software that your not using or did not like. Get one that suits your needs.

How to do it.

1. Click the Start button and select Control Panel.


2. Underneath Programs, click Uninstall a program. (If you don't see this page, change the View by option in the top right-hand corner to Category.)

3. Select the program you want to delete and click Uninstall.


Make ReadyBoost your friend


It's all very well to advise you to close programs you're not using—but just because you're not using it now doesn't mean you won't be using it in 10 minutes. The answer is ReadyBoost, a super helpful feature that can use the extra space on a flash card or USB storage device to speed up your PC. Plug in a compatible storage device and click Speed up my system when you see the AutoPlay dialog box.


Restart often and clean your hard disk


The more you use your PC, the more applications you use and the more services you're running. Closing an application doesn't always close the service. That's why rebooting fixes so many problems; it clears out the memory. Restart at least once a week. Your best bet? Turn off your PC every night. Not only will you clear out your memory, but you'll save energy to boot.
You should also make a habit of cleaning your hard disk to remove temporary files, emptying the Recycle Bin, and getting rid of system files you don't need any more:

1. Click the Start button , and type Disk Cleanup in the search window. Select it from the list of results.

2. After the utility runs, you'll see how much disk space you can free up.

3. Click OK, and then click Delete Files.

PC Common Problems


Locating the problem


Is your PC showing an error message? If so, write down the exact number and wording of the error message, and search for it on the Microsoft Fix it Solution Center. In many cases, the Fix it center provides a "hot fix," which is an automated solution you can run on your PC with just one click!

Even if you don’t see an error message, you may be able to find the solution in the Fix it center, either by topic or by searching. Ask yourself if the problem is related to hardware, software, or the operating system (such as Windows 7, Windows XP, or Windows Vista). The following are some common indicators that can help you decide which is the right answer.

If you're uncertain, don't worry. Just start at the top by determining if your software is working, using the Software errors section that follows. If the issue persists, proceed to the Hardware trouble section and then to the System failure section.

You can also find really helpful information at Microsoft Answers, a forum where you can search, browse, and post questions and answers. Community members – including Microsoft employees – answer the questions posted there. If you'd like to search by individual program, try the Product Solution Center.

The lists on the right side of this page may also help you narrow down the type of trouble you are experiencing.

Software errors

If programs refuse to install, won't appear on your desktop, can't seem to run without freezing, don't load at a decent speed or function properly, or Internet access is unavailable, here's how to troubleshoot:

General issues




Confirm that your PC meets the software's minimum system requirements. If it doesn't, you'll be unable to run the program without upgrading your computer's hardware. Note that PCs which barely meet or just slightly exceed these minimums may run the software more slowly and can be less reliable. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users can reference the Windows Experience Index to quickly gauge their PC's general capabilities.



Check for compatibility with Windows 7 and Windows Vista.



Close open programs and windows that you're not currently using. These can eat up system memory and processing power, slowing your PC or preventing additional software from running. Try running the program again.

Check available hard drive space. Roughly 5 to 10 percent of your hard drive's total storage allotment should be left free to ensure optimum system performance in Windows 7 and Windows Vista, prevent crashes, and keep Windows running at top speed.

Connect aTV tuner to Windows 7 Click HERE for details

Connect TV tunner to Vista

Repair your PC using the Startup Repair function.
Windows 7
Vista

Hard drive failure


In a worst-case scenario, system failure may be caused by a damaged or corrupted hard drive. There are many warning signs that may indicate this problem:

* Your system won't boot.
* No operating system is detected.
* The computer hangs during startup.
* Your PC is making strange noises.

If you are concerned about the safety of your files, try the following options before paying to send it to a data recovery specialist: Follow this link  Click HERE on how to Resurrect your Crashed Hard Drive.

Create a Shutdown Shortcut and/or Restart

Instead of having to navigate through the Start menu every time you want to shut down your computer, you can set it up so all you have to do is click a shortcut icon on your desktop. Here's how to create that aforementioned shortcut:

1. Right-click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. In the pop-up menu, select New > Shortcut.
3. Type this code "shutdown -s" (without the quotes) in the empty field.
4. If you'd like a 'Goodbye' message, add: -c "TYPE MESSAGE HERE" to the end of the code.
5. Click on Next, and then Finish.

The above code shuts down Windows as it does normally (i.e. by closing each and every program, and then shutting down). But if you want your Windows to shut down instantly, just by stopping every program, then use the code "shutdown -s -t 00" (00 is the number of seconds till shutdown, if you put 100 it will take 100 seconds) in Step 3.

Desktop Reboot Icon
Right click on the desktop
Click [New] [Shortcut] to open the Create Shortcut Wizard
Type [shutdown -r -t 00] without the brackets.
Click [Next] and type a descriptive name of your choosing for the shortcut
Click [Finish]