troubleshooting

Troubleshooting a freezing or hanging OS X menu bar

The OS X menu bar is a central location for accessing system resources in the Apple menu, application-specific menus, and also a number of system settings through menu extras that can be appended to the right side of the menu bar. Some extras that are on by default include the time and date, battery level, and volume control, but others can be added to the bar, including VPN status, keychain, the script menu, and Bluetooth status.

Though these menu extras are convenient, there may be times when problems occur with this part of the system menu, such as freezes and … Read more

Apple: Reset your iPhone before hitting the Genius Bar

iPhone troubles? Let me guess: an update won't install properly. Or an app keeps crashing on you. Or you can't get your Bluetooth connection to work.

Problems like these often drive frazzled users to the Apple Genius Bar, which, of course, requires a reservation via the Apple Web site. Before you can make one, however, Apple now suggests this:

It's true: Apple wants you to try the iPhone equivalent of Ctrl-Alt-Delete before you make a special trip to the Apple Store and, well, watch while a Genius resets the phone for you.

Although this may come across … Read more

How to analyze e-mail headers the easy way

E-mail messages weren't always as reliable as they are today, but problems can still occur during delivery. Reading message headers can help pinpoint delivery issues, like delays. But if you've ever tried looking at a full message header, you know that it can be a bit confusing to read.

Fortunately, there's a Web-based message header analysis tool that reads the header data for you and outputs it into a format that's much easier to analyze.

To use Message Header Analyzer, first copy the full message header from an e-mail message. If you need help figuring out … Read more

Troubleshooting Safari update problems

Like most software updates, the latest Safari update (version 5.1.4) causes changes to the system's configuration that will undoubtedly result in problems for some people's setups. Typically, even if no outstanding issues crop up in the software after an update, some people may find certain Web sites will not work or load correctly, and plug-ins might show odd behavior when displaying content.

If you have updated Safari on your Mac and are experiencing problems after updating, then here are some things to try that may fix them.

Reset Safari Often problems with Safari happen when temporary … Read more

How to start Windows 7 faster

High-performance PC hardware doesn't always deliver the speed users expect. But you probably shouldn't blame the hardware. The slowdown may be due to a software conflict.

A reader named Abe Ibrahim contacted me last week to ask about his slow Windows 7 PC:

My system: Asus Rampage III Extreme MB, Intel i7 980x CPU, 12GB Tri-Bus Memory, 128GB SSD (OS), and 9TB RAID-5 storage. One would think no matter what you ran, the system would scream through it. That is not the case with my system: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit boots in 51 seconds... [When] I use it … Read more

Call muting growing issue for iPhone 4S users

Though the biggest gripe for most iPhone 4S users has been an abnormally short battery life, an issue that could prove to be just as frustrating is gaining vocal ground in support forums across the Web.

These iPhone 4S owners are experiencing random muting during phone calls, an issue that has reportedly been ignored in the forthcoming iOS 5.1 update.

The problem happens as calls are placed. You tap the appropriate contact or dial the number you wish to call and at some point during the connection, the audio on the caller's end fails.

Interestingly, on the other … Read more

How to provide tech support for your parents' Windows PC

If you've been singled out as the one tech-savvy member of your family, you know how hard it can be to field calls for help from parents and others who see themselves as more clueless than they may really be.

Even if you haven't, the odds are good that you'll need to help someone at some point; after all, not everyone is a CNET blog reader! So pour yourself a cup of coffee (or some other refreshing beverage) and try the following tips and tricks to help smooth the process.

Try to keep in mind that they … Read more

How to test your RAM in Windows

A bad memory module (RAM) can cause unpredictable behavior in a Windows system, including the dreaded blue screen of death. If you suspect that your RAM may be faulty, you can run a memory test to confirm that you have a bad memory module.

Laptop and desktop PC makers occasionally provide preinstalled utilities that sometimes include a memory test. Feel free to try out those utilities, especially if your computer is under warranty and you want to make a warranty claim. Manufacturers will often require you to run their support utilities first, before agreeing to replace hardware or move forward … Read more

How to fix 95 percent of iOS app crashes

iOS isn't perfect. There, I said it. This will become evident to anyone who's ever tried to figure out Notification Center or organize contacts into groups.

And I guarantee that at some point or another, you've installed a shiny new app, only to have it crash on you, either the moment you ran it or maybe a few minutes in.

Indeed, the App Store is packed to the gills with user reviews like these:

"Crashes about a minute into the game."

"App wouldn't load. Zero stars!"

"Won't run on my iPad 2--crashes right after I tap the icon."

So what's going on here? Bad programming? In some cases, yes. Some apps are just plain buggy. But if you install a new one and immediately have problems getting it to run, there's an easy fix:… Read more