FREE VIDEO DISC! Do more with Windows
Issue 200 July 2009
ST P CRASHES Make your PC more reliable today p42
10
clever tricks for Windows
They really work! p12
“How can I get hold of missing PC updates?” Protect your PC p74
“How can I improve the quality of my movies?” Boost DVD playback – it’s easy and free!
Group test
Run Windows faster for less
37
projects & solutions
Photoshop
masterclass Learn the skills that will boost your photos p51
Power PCs reviewed from just £450
Print great photos Choose the right printer with confidence p98
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✔ 23 pages of expert guides ✔ 26 essential PC solutions ✔ 10 pages of buying advice ✔ 7 ways to save money
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A FULL COPY OF PHOTOSHOP p114
Troubleshoot any problem Rescue and prevention guide
Crashproof
HOT TIP! Back it up!
If you’ve not yet put a back-up plan in place, do it now. If your important files and settings are recoverable, you’ll find it easier to avoid panic. See issue 195 for a complete guide.
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PCAnswers
Troubleshoot any problem Rescue and prevention guide
your PC PC plagued by errors? Nick Peers reveals the techniques for rescuing your system and making it less prone to problems
I
t’s a sad fact of life that PCs aren’t infallible. Whether it’s a program freezing on you, an indecipherable error message suddenly popping up on your screen or – horror of horrors – your PC either randomly restarting or throwing up the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, things can and do go wrong with your PC. In this feature we’re going to look at techniques for identifying the problem, tracking down a solution and then taking steps to ensure that it never happens again. We’ll start by taking a look at understanding what error messages and crashes signify, giving you a head start in identifying the issue and finding a solution. Once you know what the problem is, you can take the appropriate steps to fi x it. We’ll show you how to troubleshoot with the aid of the internet, and take a closer look at how hardware is often the underlying cause of major crashes, revealing the steps to take to isolate the cause and find a solution, or at least
a temporary workaround. We’ll also reveal when your PC is most vulnerable to errors and crashes, and demonstrate techniques you can use to minimise the problems.
Prevention over cure While it’s impossible to eliminate all errors and crashes, many are caused by not looking after your Windows installation correctly. We’ll help you discover how to keep your PC healthy so you can minimise the risk, whether it’s from badly written drivers, botched installs or system glitches that haven’t been fixed by Windows updates. The most important thing to do when confronted by an error message or a system crash is not to panic. If you can keep a clear and calm head, then the problem should be fi xable without putting your important data at risk. Turn the page then, and find out how to put what at first appears to be a catastrophic event into proper perspective: an irritating niggle that you can realistically sort out now, and take steps to prevent it happening again.
Why does my PC crash? What causes your PC to randomly restart or throw up a STOP error message? Your PC’s hardware, software and parts of Windows make competing demands for resources. The Windows kernel manages these demands, granting some and denying others based on what’s asked for and what’s available. Errors and crashes can occur when the component or program denied the request isn’t able to recover from the denial. In most cases – such as with running programs – the kernel is able to handle the
subsequent problem without affecting the rest of your PC. STOP error messages occur when Windows encounters a critical error – a “fatal” malfunctioning of a fundamental part of your PC – that it can’t handle without causing damage to the OS. As a result it shuts down, preventing further problems but resulting in a loss of unsaved data. For a full list of error codes, see http://tinyurl. com/4ta6a5.
Common error codes ■ 0x0000000A IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL The drivers are using improper memory addresses ■ 0x0000009F DRIVER_POWER_STATE_ FAILURE Linked to drivers not handling requests to go into or out of hibernation or standby ■ 0x00000079 MISMATCHED_HAL Linked to changing ACPI settings on a PC or trying to move an installation to a new PC ■ 0x00000074 BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO One of the few STOP errors specifically linked to faulty or mismatched RAM ■ 0x0000007B INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE Windows can’t access the required files to boot because your hard drive is inaccessible for one of many possible reasons PCAnswers
July 2009
43
Photoshop Elements
Advanced editing To produce truly stunning photographs, it pays to be selective in your image editing
B
HOT TIP! Kill the ants
Selective editing is simplified in Elements 7 with Smart Brushes for combining colour and black and white in a single image
STEP-BY-STEP
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The so-called “marching ants” that show the boundaries of selected areas in an image can be distracting, but you can switch them off (and on again) simply by pressing [Ctrl] + [H].
Create Layer Masks
DUPLICATE THE BACKGROUND
We’re going to add a dramatic sky to this lifeboat scene by simulating the Layer Mask option of Photoshop CS. Use the Select All pull-down menu option in the lifeboat photo, then copy and paste it into the separate sky image.
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asic fi xes for lighting and colour rendition can go a long way to enhance an image, but that’s only half the story. The simple truth is that specific areas within images usually need editing in different ways, so you really have to be selective. Thankfully, Photoshop Elements comes with some excellent selection tools for quickly isolating different parts of an image (see opposite) so that you can work on them independently, for example, darkening an overly bright sky while leaving the image’s darker foreground untouched. To avoid a harsh transition between one area and another, you can also apply “feathering” to your selection, so that the edges blend in seamlessly. An even more powerful way to work independently on specific areas of your image is to copy them to new layers. Layers themselves are like transparent sheets laid over the original or “background” image. After selecting
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ADD AN ADJUSTMENT LAYER
Select the original background layer in the Layers palette at the bottom-right of the window. Next, create a new Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer between the two existing layers with the “Create adjustment layer” button.
Free with issue 200 of an area on the background, you can then cut or copy it to a new layer, making subsequent adjustments without affecting the background layer at all. You can also switch individual layers on or off, or rather make their contents visible or invisible, by clicking the “eye” box at the left of each layer in the Layers palette.
Adjustment Layers
A neat twist on standard layers are Adjustment Layers – these act as independent adjustments for brightness/contrast, levels, hue/ saturation and photo filters. They work non-destructively, in that the original image or background layer remains untouched throughout. One thing missing in Photoshop Elements that you get in Photoshop CS is Layer Masks, but even here you can replicate the feature with a little bit of trickery, as shown in the step-by-step guide below. Another useful tool is Dodge and Burn, available from the main Toolbox. This enables you to “paint” over specific areas of the image, as if with a paintbrush, selectively lightening them with the Dodge facility, or darkening them with Burn. It’s great for lifting faces out of gloomy shadows, or for darkening objects that are too bright and distracting.
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EXPERT ADVICE Selection tools Making cut-outs or tracing around objects in an image used to be a fiddly business, but Photoshop Elements has a wide range of tools to suit almost any selection task. By default, the four main selection buttons in the Toolbox give access to the Rectangular Marquee, the Lasso, the Magic Wand and the Quick Selection tool. However, by right-clicking on most of these buttons, more become available. For example, right-click the Rectangular Marquee and you can switch to an Ellipse selection tool instead and if you use this while holding down [Shift], it’ll create perfect circles. Similarly, rightclicking the Lasso tool offers a handy Magnetic option, which is great for tracing around irregularly shaped objects. For general use, though, the Quick Selection tool is best, with its uncanny ability to find outlines in individual objects as you paint over them. There’s no need to worry if your selection isn’t perfect at the first
CONVERT TO LAYER MASK
To convert the Adjustment Layer to a Layer Mask, click the upper layer containing the lifeboat image in the Layers palette and then press [Ctrl] + [G]. This will group the upper layer with the Adjustment Layer just below it.
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The Quick Selection tool is great for quick and easy cut-outs
attempt. By switching between the “Add To Selection” and “Subtract From Selection” options on the Tool Options strip at the top of the main window, you can quickly add to previously selected areas or remove areas that you didn’t want in the overall selection. Finally, you can give your selections a soft edge by entering a pixel value into the Feather box in the Tool ribbon. For a wider, smoother band of blending between selected and unselected areas, enter a higher number of pixels.
PAINT THE MASK
Finally, click the white mask to the right of the Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer in the Layers palette. Now everything you paint black in the main Active Image Area will drill through to the background layer beneath.
PCAnswers
July 2009
57
Learn how to…
Explore VLC's advanced settings
Improve DVD quality
by tweaking settings in VLC
DVD playback on your PC can look blocky or too dark – here's how to make VLC work its magic
How long will it take? Four minutes What do I need? VLC Media Player (on the disc)
What will I learn? ✔ Remove video blockiness ✔ Improve picture quality ✔ Fix audio problems
The trouble with playing DVDs on your PC is that the disc has often been designed for viewing on a television, which displays Your guide video in a different way. Tanya Your PC displays video by Combrinck showing you lots of still pictures in quick succession. On a TV, each frame is broken down into many horizontal strips, like the slats of a blind. Instead of showing full pictures, the TV flashes up every other “slat” in one instant, and then all the leftover slats an instant later, thus making two frames out of one still image.
Untangle the interlacing
Video displayed this way is said to be interlaced, and interlaced DVDs will look blocky when played on a PC. Fortunately,
VLC Media Player (www.videolan. org/vlc) has built-in deinterlacing technology that attempts to remedy the situation. The deinterlace settings can be found in the Video menu. You’ll see that there are a number of different techniques on offer, whose names will likely be unfamiliar to you. There’s no need to know what they mean – just try them all out to see which one looks best to you. Once you’ve selected the deinterlacing setting that’s most effective for your video, you can further spruce things up by increasing the sharpness of the video, and adjusting brightness and contrast if it needs it. If you’re stuck with a video with poor audio syncing, VLC has an answer for that as well: head to Tools > Extended Settings and let the tweaking begin. ■
EXPERT ADVICE Advanced settings in VLC
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Change output modules
If you're having trouble getting VLC to play video under Vista, go to Tools > Preferences, click the All radio button, then go to Video > Output Modules and try the various options on this list.
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PCAnswers
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Fix audio syncing
For audio syncing problems, go to Tools > Extended Settings and click the Synchronization tab. Enter a positive value to make the audio happen earlier, or a negative one to make it later.
Learn how to…
Explore VLC's advanced settings
GET TO KNOW VLC MEDIA PLAYER
1
Solve Vista hiccups
If you’re having trouble playing video with VLC under Vista, click Output Modules and try each one out.
Improve video
4
Click Tools > Extended Settings to get the Adjustments and Effects dialog. Audio syncing, video sharpening and colour can be adjusted from here.
2
Apply filters
Under Video > Filters you’ll find lots of things with which to experiment. Check a filter to apply it, and click the word “Filters” to configure them individually
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Advanced settings
In Tools > Preferences, check the All radio button under Show Settings to bring out the advanced options.
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Try deinterlacing
To improve DVD playback quality, click Video > Deinterlace and then choose one of the options. This will only work if the video is interlaced – give it a try to see what happens.
4
Final tweaks
If you feel that you need to adjust the picture's brightness and contrast, go to the Video Effects tab inside Tools > Extended Settings. You'll also find an option to sharpen the image.
PCAnswers
July 2009
73
Learn how to…
Access bookmarks anywhere
Synchronise bookmarks and create an online backup
Set your bookmarks free with Xmarks, the essential web browser plug-in
How long will it take? Six minutes What do I need? Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer Internet connection What will I learn? ✔ Synchronise passwords between computers ✔ Synchronise bookmarks ✔ Discover new websites
Bookmarking websites provides a quick and easy way of accessing your favourite sites without the need to constantly Your guide type in lengthy addresses. Tanya Both Internet Explorer and Combrinck Firefox include tools that can be used to manage a collection of bookmarked sites, but there’s one minor problem: the bookmarks are only saved on one computer. When a different machine is in use, such as a work computer, these quick links aren’t available to you. While it’s possible to export a list of bookmarked sites and import them to another PC, this is far from ideal and updating must always be carried out manually. This is where Xmarks can help. This browser add-on is available
for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari, and it can be used to synchronise bookmarks between computers.
Banish bookmark blues
With Xmarks, bookmarks created on one machine can be uploaded to an online account and easily downloaded to another PC. The add-on can also be used to securely synchronise stored passwords. In addition to this, Xmarks can provide information about the currently loaded web page and offer suggestions as to the types of site you may be interested in visiting. The walkthrough takes you through installing Xmarks for Firefox, but the process is very similar for Internet Explorer and Safari, and once installed the add-ons function in the same way, whichever browser is being used. ■
STEP-BY-STEP Set up Xmarks within Firefox
1
Install Xmarks
Launch Firefox and visit www.xmarks.com. Click the Install Now button to the right of the page, followed by “Download Xmarks for Firefox”. Run through the installation process and restart your browser when prompted.
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PCAnswers
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Account sign up
Click Next in the setup wizard to progress through it, during which you should: click “No, create an account for me”; choose a username; enter your email and password; and select whether to use password synchronisaton.
Learn how to…
Access bookmarks anywhere
3
Secure Password Sync
4
Manual synchronisation
If Password Sync has been enabled, enter and confirm the PIN to use for security purposes. Click Next three times and the bookmarks currently stored in your web browser will be uploaded to your Xmarks account online.
Click the link in your confirmation email to confirm your address. In Firefox, click Tools > Xmarks > Xmarks Settings or click the icon in the status bar to access the settings dialog. Click the Synchronize Now button if ready.
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Online bookmark access
Automatic synchronisation
Bookmarks synchronised from your web browser can be accessed via your online Xmarks account from any PC. Visit www.xmarks.com, use the Log In link at the top of the page to log in and head to the My Account section.
Now, whenever a new bookmark is created, it will be automatically synchronised. Install Xmarks on another computer to download the synchronised bookmarks. The Sync tab of the Settings dialog offers you more syncing options.
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Bookmark overwriting
When synchronising bookmarks on a second PC for the first time, take care not to overwrite anything that’s been uploaded already. Select the option to overwrite local bookmarks, or merge the two sets, from the Advanced tab.
Site information and discovery
Perform a web search and an Xmarks icon will be displayed next to the top results – click it for site information and to discover similar sites you may be interested in. This can also be done from the address bar.
PCAnswers
July 2009
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