• How to Clean
  CDs and DVDs
  
  
• How to Clean
  Disc Drives
  
  
• How to Clean
  a Mouse
  
  
• How to Clean
  a Printer
  
  
• How to Clean
  the Registry
  
  
• Featured Discussions
  Will scheduled items
      run in Hibernation?
  RegPack and Norton
  taskmanager not
      working
  Is there a macro on
      my computer?
  background color behind
      the text of desktop icons
  
  
• Questions on our
  Discussion Board
  
  

How to Clean CDs and DVDs

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        If a CD or DVD is dirty, you will find out as soon as you try to use it. A dirty CD or DVD will skip or not play at all. If you clean the disc correctly, you may be able to get it working again.
        The easiest and best way to clean a disc is to use a special disc cleaning kit available at computer stores. If you don't have one, you can use the following instructions.
        For best results, use cleaning fluid and anti-static cloths made especially for cleaning discs. If you don't have these, use water and a soft cloth. The cloth must be soft with no abrasive material or matter in it that would scratch the disc.
        Put the cleaning fluid or water on the cloth first and not on the disc. Then holding the disc by the edges and center hole, wipe across the disc from center to edge. Do not wipe around the disc in the direction of the tracks or in circles. Doing so can scratch it.
        Be sure only to apply a small amount of pressure because too much pressure will scratch the disc and cause permanent damage. If water does not work, instead of applying more pressure, use a different liquid, such as rubbing alcohol. Some liquids can damage the disc so consult the manufacturer's instructions for approved liquids.
        To keep the disc from getting dirty again, always keep the disc in a case or sleeve (don't just throw it on the floor of your car) and always handle it by the edges and center hole. Do not touch the reflective side.
        Follow these instructions and your discs can live a long and prosperous life. Don't follow them and you will spend a lot of money buying new discs.


How to Clean Disc Drives

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        When your CD or DVD (disc) drive starts giving you problems, your first thought may be to replace it or take it to the repair shop, but a good cleaning may be all it needs.
        Below are three methods to clean the disc drive. The easiest method is the least effective. The hardest method is the most effective. Since the hardest method takes some time to do, I recommend that you start with the easiest method. If it solves your problems, congratulations. If not, try the next method.
        The Cleaner Disc method - this, the easiest method, uses a special cleaner disc which can be purchased in computer stores. The disc usually comes with a little bottle of cleaner solution. Apply a few drops of the solution to the disc and insert it in the disc drawer (be sure to read and follow the instructions that come with the cleaner disc). The drive will turn the disc and clean the lens. Unfortunately, this only works adequately about half the time.
        The Cleaning Stick method - this is what I do in desperation when the cleaner disc does not work and I don't want to disassemble the drive. Since all that is needed (at least in my mind this is true) is a little more pressure applied to the lens, I start out in search of a thin, flexible stick of some type which is at least six inches long. It should not have sharp or rough edges that would scratch the lens. Next, get a soft, thin cloth and put water or rubbing alcohol in the middle of it. Place one end of the stick under the wet part of the cloth and slide it into the opened disc drawer. The goal is to rub the wet cloth on the lens to clean it. Do not apply so much pressure that you will scratch and ruin the lens. Also try blowing into the disc drive to remove any dirt that may have accommulated in it. If you do not succeed at this, proceed to the next method.
        The Disassembly method - this method should work but it requires you to disassemble the drive. So if you are not comfortable with taking the drive apart, please take it to a computer repair shop and let them do it.
        Take the cover off your computer, unplug the cords from the back of the disc drive, remove any screws holding it in, and slide it out (you may need to remove the face plate on the end of the drawer to get the drive out). Remove the screws in the drive housing and take the cover off. The bottom side of the drive is a circuit board, so if that is what you see when you take the cover off, figure out how to access the other side. On the correct side, you should see a lens that runs on a track (there is no harm in moving the lens along the track but do not touch the lens itself). Use a wet, soft cloth to clean the lens.
        Sometimes a disc drive malfunctions because there is too much dust or debris in it, so be sure to clean out the inside with either compressed air, a soft cloth, or a cotton swab. Reassemble the disc drive, put it back in the computer case, and cross your fingers. Hopefully, it will work when you turn on the computer.
        If these methods work, you just saved yourself some money. If not, you needed a better disc drive anyway.


How to Clean a Mouse

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        If your mouse is working sluggishly or not at all, don't go out and buy another cheap mouse. The cause is probably just a dirty mouse. A quick cleaning could fix the problem.
        First, you need to identify which kind of mouse you have. If you turn your mouse over and part of a ball is showing, you have a ball mouse. If you see a lens, you have an optical or laser mouse. Each type of mouse requires a different type of cleaning.
        The optical or laser mouse does not need to be cleaned near as often as the ball mouse, but it and the surface it runs on can still get dirty. If you do not clean the surface that the mouse moves on, it will soon turn black. So about once a month or so, wipe the surface off with a wet rag. The lens probably never will get dirty, but if it does, take a soft cloth, cotton swab, or q-tip wetted with window cleaner or alcohol and clean the lens.
        The ball mouse may need cleaning quite often, so you should get well acquainted with the following cleaning procedure. The dirtier the ball mouse gets, the harder it is to get it to move the cursor on the screen smoothly. If you have to move the mouse across the mouse pad several times to get the cursor to move halfway across the screen, it needs to be cleaned.
        The mouse does not need to be disconnected to clean it, but you should close all of the programs that are running, so that you don't accidentally click on something and mess it up. If you do decide to disconnect the mouse, be sure to turn off the computer first. The mouse cord should never be unplugged from the computer while it is running. Doing so could ruin your motherboard.
        Turn the ball mouse over and find the cover that holds the ball in. Look for arrows on the cover to show which way it needs to be turned. Place two fingers on the cover and push in the direction of the arrows. Once the cover has been turned about an inch, cover it with your hand and turn the mouse back over to the upright position. The ball and cover should fall into your hand. If it doesn't, shake the mouse gently.
        Wipe the ball off with a wet rag.
        Now look in the ball well and find the three rollers. Start by cutting across the buildup on the rollers with your fingernail (a knife or steel dental pick may also be used gently), then turn the roller and remove the buildup as you go along. If you do this correctly, you will end up with one curled strip of buildup for each roller. Make sure to remove the buildup from the well. If it falls inside somewhere, blow and gently shake it until it comes out.
        Take a wet rag and clean each of the rollers by wiping across it, then turning it and wiping again. Continue until the entire roller is cleaned. Put the ball back in the ball well and lock the cover back in place.
        If the mouse still has problems once it is assembled, try cleaning it again. If that doesn't work, you may need to buy a new mouse.
        It is a good idea to regularly clean the surface that the mouse is on because the cleaner the surface, the less dirt will get inside the mouse and the less often you will have to clean it.
        If your mouse is shared by many people (especially if one of them is sick), you may want to disinfect the top of the mouse between users.
        Follow these instructions and your mouse will be up and darting again in no time.


How to Clean a Printer

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        Does your printer have frequent paper jams? Does it put ink where ink shouldn't be? Is the outside of your printer dirty or covered with smudges? If so, it is time to clean your printer.
        First, there are some general rules that apply to cleaning just about any electrical device. It is best to turn off the printer before cleaning it. Do not spray water or cleaner on or in the printer. Instead wet the rag with it and clean the printer with the rag.
        Different types of printers require different cleaning methods. So if you can get your hands on cleaning instructions for your make and model of printer, do so and follow them. Unfortunately, many manufacturers only make that kind of information available to their licensed technicians. In that case, you are stuck with these instructions, so read on.
        Open up your printer and take a look.
        If you have an ink jet printer and there is an ink mess inside, clean it up with wet paper towels.
        If you have a printer that uses toner either vacuum or blow it out. Some toner, especially color toner, can be harmful to you, so only use a vacuum with a micro-toner filter or blow and run. Figure out where the drum is (it is shiny and larger in diameter than the rollers) and do not touch or scratch it. If you do, the scratches will turn up as marks on every paper that you print and will require that you replace the drum (not a cheap option) to fix it.
        Examine the path that the paper takes through the printer. Clean all of the rollers (but on a toner printer, not the drum or rollers near the drum and watch out for the rollers after the drum because they may be hot). It may take some disassembly and/or contorting of your arm to get to some of the rollers. Access is not always easy. The most important rollers to clean are the ones which pick up the paper from the paper bin and transfer it into the printer. If these rollers are dirty or bad, they will cause consistent paper jams.
        The rollers are made of either hard plastic or rubber. All of the rollers can be cleaned with water or rubbing alcohol. If the rubber rollers have deposits that you can't get off, you can use harsher cleaners but be careful because those cleaners can damage the plastic rollers and parts.
        To clean a roller, wipe across the roller with a wet rag, rotate the roller, and wipe again. Do this until you have worked your way all the way around the roller. Look at the rag. If it has been blackened by the roller, move to a clean part of the rag and clean the roller again.
        Once everything is clean on the inside, close it up and clean the outside. Wipe off the case and each of the buttons or knobs. If there are staples or paper clips sitting on it or wedged in the cracks, remove them and throw them away.
        Other areas of the printer can be cleaned but to do so, you will have to either get training and special tools or leave it to a trained professional.


How to Clean the Registry

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        In the beginning Windows' registry consisted of two files totalling around 5mb in size. Today it consists of at least 12 files with the Software file itself being 30mb or bigger in size. As the size of the registry has exploded, so has the trash and clutter in it. It may seem like a daunting task, but cleaning the registry properly can fix system problems, speed your computer up, and make it run more efficiently.
        I have spent many years developing and refining thousands of procedures to do just that. I could share these methods of hunting down the trash with you and let you find them and delete them by hand, but if you were to sit down at your computer right now and work nonstop, you would still be busy with them a week from now when the next issue of Ray's Computer Tips arrives. By then your registry would have new clutter and you would have to start all over again.
        To make registry cleaning easier on everyone, I wrote a program called RegVac Registry Cleaner (http://regvac.com/regvac.htm) to perform those procedures. It has been so successful that several companies have asked me to model their registry cleaners after RegVac and even more have copied processes that first debutted in RegVac.
        The first place RegVac cleans is the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section (the Classes Vac in RegVac does this). This section contains settings for the classes of Windows. Think of a huge box full of snakes and you will get an idea of how complicated and interwoven it is. It is so complicated that many registry cleaners bypass it or simply perform surface scans of it. RegVac uses over a hundred processes to follow each tentacle of each class deep into this area and make sure that they abide by the rules.
        Next RegVac validates the entries in 22 lists with 7 different methods (the FilesList Vac does this). This is a minor part of RegVac but the bulk of most other registry cleaners even though they usually do not clean all 22 lists.
        Another part of RegVac, the Software Vac, which is unique to RegVac, finds old software sections in the registry and provides a way to remove that software's entire branch. Other registry cleaners only remove a few entries in this area often leaving huge portions of the registry that do nothing but take up space and get in the way.
        Even more trash can be discovered in hundreds of stashes used to store data you will never use. Most registry cleaners do not even touch these. The Stash Vac lists these stashes and lets you go through and select which ones to empty out. Please use caution when using the Stash Vac because some of the items listed there may be important. For example, one folder in the Stash Vac lists places where data for international keyboards are stored. You probably will never use the data for Bulgarian keyboards, so you can remove it, but if you live in the US you may experience problems after removing the United States 101 keyboard. The items that you can safely remove are usually obvious.
        Last but not least, when cleaning the registry, you should look for broken links to files on the computer (this is what the Bad Link Vac does). If a file is referenced in the registry but it does not exist on your hard drive, that is a good indicator that something is wrong. Many programmers start out writing a registry cleaner thinking all it has to do is check for these broken links and remove them. In fact, that is all many registry cleaners do.
        Even though that is all they do, they often don't do it correctly. If you check the results of such scans, you will find out that many of the broken links are really good links. I spent several months refining this part of RegVac so that as far as I know it is 100% accurate. Despite this, please realize that some software enter broken links in the registry and require them to be there in order for them to run. RegVac skips the ones it knows about, but you still need to be careful with this part of RegVac.
        RegVac has six more tools that clean even more areas: the Add/Remove Editor, the System Config Utility, the OpenWith Editor, the AutoComplete Editor, the Junk Keys Editor, and Registry Backup, Pack, and Restore.
        Many of you already use RegVac but if you don't, you can downloaded a free 30 day trial of RegVac at http://regvac.com/regvacz.exe. For more information about RegVac Registry Cleaner go to http://regvac.com/regvac.htm. If you like RegVac, you can purchase it for only $29.95. All future updates are free.
        Keep the Windows registry clean and running smoothly with RegVac Registry Cleaner.


Featured Discussions

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Will scheduled items run in Hibernation?

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1155448590/

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reddawgdead - I prefer to leave my computer in Hibernation. But I don't know if scheduled applications like defrag., virus scan etc., will run if not left in Standby. I use windows xp sp2.

Ray - No, I don't think it will.

hrhol - At the Church that I am a member of, we are useing a software that plays audio files at scheduled time intervals ( a Electronic Church Bell Carillon, Bell Tower ) normally it is scheduled to play 5 times during the day. I tried using the Hibernate function in power management, so that the computer would not have to be on all the time. Only when the scheduled time called for a function. It Would Not Work After Going Into Hibernation.
        Using the Turn Off Monitor and the Turn Off Hard Disk Functions Worked OK. Thus saving some power and wear on idle system usage.

reddawgdead - Thank You and Ray for the response's. I will reset schedules to perform in one night, then leave in stantby for that night.


RegPack and Norton

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1156177773/

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jlbltd - I can't get RegPack to run because I have Norton Internet Security 2006. I have tried to disable it, but apparently not correctly since RegPack will still not run. I would appreciate a how-to. Thank you

Ray - RegPack gives one of two warnings before starting. Both of them mention Norton. One allows you to continue, the other one doesn't. If the warning allows you to continue, Norton was not found (but it still warns you about it). If you have disabled Norton (assuming you have Norton) according to WinRescue's instructions, you may continue with RegPack.
        If you think that you have removed all of the Norton items but it still get the warning message which does not allow you to continue, look in msconfig for any use of the word norton or symantec in the path names of the startup items. That is what RegPack looks for. If RegPack is not allowing you to continue, it found one of those words there, so it is there.


taskmanager not working

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1156090854/

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pgabor9 - In previous versions of Windows I could use the Task Manager to get out of a non-responsive program. The Task Manager listed every program running in the background and it was easy to end them. In Windows XP this is no longer true. Nothing running in the background is shown, and when a program stops responding and I try to use the Task manager by using Cont+Alt+Del I am still not able to end the non-responsive program. Instead I get the small dialog box that tells me the program does not respond, but when I try to end it there, it still does not do it. Is there a way to speed up the process of ending non-responding programs?

Ray - It should still end the program. Not as many programs are listed in the Applications list but the other ones should be listed in the Processes list. So all in all the same amount of items are shown.
        If you cannot find the item in the Task Manager, try right clicking on the program's icon at the bottom of the screen and selecting Close from the popup menu.
        When you try to end a task, if the program (task) pops up a message in response to you trying to force end it, you should not respond to it (in other words, do not click on the OK button of the message from the program). If you do, the Task Manager will not force close it. Instead you should wait and after about 10 seconds, the program will be shut down by the Task Manager.


Is there a macro on my computer?

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1154908402/

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Joangr - My computer (Dell Inspiron 600m laptop) seems to have a macro that I did not install. When I am typing either in MS Word or AOL write modes and I hit the letter "b" my typing jumps to wherever the cursor is. I do not know how to undo this macro. Any suggestion?

Ray - I don't know what would cause that unless you are inadvertently hitting something other than b to cause that.

Joangr - I wonder whether the letter b has been inadvertently assigned as a keyboard shortcut? Unfortunately, if it has, I've forgotten how to undo it - maybe someone else knows?

Ray - No, the B key alone cannot be assigned to a macro (it has to be a combination of keys, like, B, Alt, and Ctrl).
        I still think that you are inadvertently hitting the touchpad or something else. You might try covering the touchpad up with stiff paper or cardboard.


background color behind the text of desktop icons

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1156163064/

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Ken - My friend’s computer was infected with a virus; well with some work I was able to clean his computer. However, the virus somehow changed all his desktop shortcuts, in such a way that the text portion now has a white background. Before the infection the text had no background color, just the desktop photo that he had installed. I see how to change the background color of the text portion, but I can’t find a way to get rid of the background color all together. (The way his computer was, and the way mine is).
        How do I get rid of the background color behind the text portion of desktop shortcuts?

Ray - How do you change the background color? There should be something about making it transparent.

Ken - To change the background color.
        Right click on the Desktop --> Properties --> Appearance Tab --> Advanced button.
        I don’t see any option for none or transparent.

Ray - OK. Mine has a color set on it, yet the text background is transparent on my desktop.
        There is an answer to this, but I can't remember what it is. Could it be that the Color quality setting on the Settings tab is too low? What is yours?

Ken - I found the answer on Mark Salloway’s Windows XP Resource Center.
        Make sure that "Lock Web items on desktop" is unchecked. (Right click on desktop --> "Arrange Icon By" )
        1) Right Click on "My Computer"
        2) Select "Properties"
        3) Advanced tab
        4) Setting Button under Performance
        5) Select the "Custom" Radial
        6) Check "Use Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop Icons"
        (Read with Sarcasm) This was so intuitive; I don’t know how I missed it!
        Ray, thanks for your help, hopefully this will help someone esle.



Questions on our Discussion Board

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system restore encountered an error...

Microsoft Mpeg4 Codec needed

Is Windows Backup in XP?

disconnect from internet

Lost Desk Top

Tracking Software Like Keylogger

Newsletter goes to Spam folder

hibernate, slow wake up

Windows XP Restarts Continuously

printer problem

QuickLaunch icons Disordered

setup disk problem

Windows startup message

Two RegVacs

Does Second HDD run too?

Print Screen on Intel Mac

Reinstall older version of windows

Ez and Vista

Too much protection?

Replacing operating System

Winantivirus Pro 2007 Problems

missing task bar icons

RegVac Update

Error with Film File

HIGH-SPEED CABLE/LOW SPEED OPERATION

CDs won't play

lots of processes

Particular Booting into Windows Behaviour

Internet Explorer Script Error

File sharing on a wireless network

free anti-virus and anti-spyware programs

Lines on Desktop

problems reading floppies

Microsoft Office 2007

No Communication Between Computer and Printer

High Speed Cable and Win98

erratic mouse

key for Back

Office 2003 Pro and Outlook installation

Junk e-mail

System Cleaners

How do I turn off automatic CD drive?

Changing Welcome screen

PCI bus not seeing any cards

NOT FINDING BOOT DRIVE ON REBOOT



Thanks for reading,
Ray Geide