Question:

I have a Dell desktop PC running Windows 7 and lately I’ve been noticing that the colors on the screen appear to be a little off – not a lot mind you, but enough to notice. Do you think my monitor is going bad?  –Grant H.

Answer:

Grant, your monitor might indeed be going bad, but there are a couple of things you can try before taking it to a PC repair shop or replacing it, and both of them are absolutely free – and free is always a great thing, right?

Since driver issues are common culprits in situations like this, the first thing I would try is updating the video display adapter driver and monitor driver to the latest versions. Even if a PC is new, the hardware drivers are often already outdated when you take the system out of the box! Here is the procedure for updating the drivers:

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Question:

Windows Update is driving me crazy! I live in an area that gets lots of thunderstorms so I always turn off and unplug my computer before leaving the house for the day. The problem is sometimes I’m in a hurry to leave, but when I click the Shutdown button I have to wait several minutes for Windows 7 to install a bunch of updates before I can unplug the PC. Is there any way to tell Windows Update to wait until I’m ready for the updates to be installed instead of just automatically doing it?  Thanks.  —Marie Guathier

Answer:

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Question:

Our house was hit by lightning and now my Dell desktop computer won’t come on. I can’t understand how it was damaged because I always unplug it from the wall before leaving for work in the mornings. The monitor and printer seem to be ok (I tried them on another computer) but my cable modem and router are fried to a crisp and so is the surge protector they were plugged into.

My question is can the computer be fixed? And if it can, will it be expensive? I can easily replace the router and cable modem, but the PC cost over $1000 just a little over a year ago.   –Kim Whieleg

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Question:

I’m in the process of ordering the parts needed to build a high-end gaming PC and a friend told me that I can save some money by buying an OEM version of Windows 7 Pro. Do you know of any reason why I shouldn’t?

Answer:

Actually, Yes. In fact, there are several reasons:

First of all, OEM Windows 7 discs sometimes come pre-loaded only with the drivers required to operate the hardware in the PC brand/model that it was intended to be sold with. There is a good chance that your OEM disc will NOT include the drivers required to make your third-party hardware operational.

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Question:

I have a 2 year old Acer desktop PC that has never had the BIOS updated because I’ve always been afraid something might go wrong. Besides, why “fix” something if it isn’t broken, right?

The problem is I just purchased a new eSATA card, and when I try to install it the system hangs on boot-up. I contacted tech support for the maker of the card and they told me I’ll need to update the PC’s BIOS in order to get it to work.

My question for you is how safe is the process of updating a computer’s BIOS? I’ve heard that sometimes something bad will happen and the computer will stop working at all. Any advice for safely updating my Acer’s BIOS? —Beth G.
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