PCFix: I can't watch video on my PC

I can’t watch video on my PC

Hi PCFix, I can’t watch streaming videos from the internet on my computer. What should I do? Jimoh Abiodun.

Ans: Hi Jimoh, You didn’t provide enough details about your computer; the Operating System software, your internet browser software, and your internet connection. However, the most common culprit for the inability to watch videos on the internet is a plugin; this is a tiny piece of software that is installed on your computer and works with the internet browser software on your computer.

The most common plugins are Adobe Flash Player, Microsoft Silverlight, Shockwave, WebpCodec and they enable your internet browser access and display multimedia contents online appropriately.

Depending on the Operating System software that is installed on your computer, you may have to update your current internet browser software.

However, we recommend the following because of their versatility and wealth of plugins and extensions: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Opera. These are cross-platform software, meaning they are compatible with various Operating System software, including but not limited to Microsoft Windows, Apple MAC OS, and Linux Distributions.

It takes 45mins to boot my PC

Hi PCFix, each time I switch on my desktop computer, it takes about forty-five minutes before it starts to boot up. Recently, it has not been booting up at all. What can I do to make it function normally again. Akinsinde Afis.

Ans: Hi Afis, depending on the Operating System software that is installed on your computer, you may be able to perform a system restore; this will return your computer to an earlier date which it functioned normally.

In order to access this feature, you should keep tapping the F8 key on the keyboard as soon as you turn on your computer, this will halt the boot process and take you to a diagnostic page, and you should select Safe Mode. This will boot up your computer in a diagnostic mode and you can perform the system restore.

Note, that the system restore function will delete all programmes installed after the date you choose to restore to, but all your documents are not affected in any way. If you have made changes to your computer BIOS software, you may have to restore it to the default setting.

Occasionally, when changes are made to the boot order, the computer will always look for boot up information from various sources before finally checking the hard drive and this can slow down the boot up process considerably.

My PC does not boot to Windows

Hi PCFix, my computer does not boot to Windows anymore, I noticed that it gives an error message (hard disk failure, insert system disk) what could be wrong with it? Adelabu Ibrahim

Ans: Hi Ibrahim, that is one message every computer owner should dread. It means your computer hard drive is faulty and needs replacement before you can use your computer again. Sadly, all your data on the hard drive is at risk of being totally lost.

If you have critical information on the hard drive, you can take it to specialists who can perform recovery on it and get your information out.

Note that all computer components have a lifespan and your hard drive may have reached the end of its lifespan. Also, if you have dropped the computer recently, the shock may have caused a physical damage in the hard drive, hence, the error message you get on the screen. Before getting a replacement, you should consult the manufacturer’s manual for your computer to know the appropriate replacement part number and a host of other details.

Freezing computer

Hi PCFix, whenever I turn on my computer, it only shows the first stage of booting up, and then it freezes. What should I do to fix the problem? Ekezie Chinani

Ans: Hi Ekezie, the first thing you should do is to go into the Safe Mode of your Operating System software; you can access it by continuously tapping the F8 key as soon as you power on your computer. You will see a diagnostics page with lots of options, select the option for Safe Mode and press enter.

Your computer will most likely boot up in diagnostics mode, and there you can perform a system restore to an earlier date. Good practice is to choose a date before you noticed the error; this will delete the most recent software you may have installed after the date chosen, but will not affect your documents.

However, if your computer does not boot up into Safe Mode, you may have to re-install the Operating System software on your computer. For newer computers, they are shipped with a recovery partition instead of software CDs or DVDs. You can access the recovery partition by pressing the F11 key (for HP computers) when you power up your computer.

Caution! Make sure you have an external storage device on hand to back up your data as the recovery process will restore your computer back to its factory state and wipe your hard drive.

I changed my operating system, my wireless disappears

Hi PCFix, I changed the Operating System software on my HP Compaq Presario V6000 laptop from Windows Vista to Windows 7, and then I discovered that the wireless function is no longer responding. What is the best way to solve the problem? Oladitan Ahmed

Ans: Hi Ahmed, you have a case of missing driver software on your laptop. The easiest way to solve this problem is to go to the support section of your laptop manufacturer’s website and download the appropriate driver for your new Operating System software.

Usually, not all the hardware drivers for a computer are pre-bundled with the Operating System software. Some of the necessary drivers for your computer are delivered via Windows update while others need to be downloaded manually from the manufacturer’s website.

Some manufacturer’s bundle the necessary drivers in the C drive on your computer and unless you format the hard drive, you can always make use of them. Since you are upgraded from Windows Vista to Windows 7, some drivers from the old Operating System Software may work with the new Operating System. Please confirm with your product manual, downloadable from the manufacturer’s website.

Akin Ibitoye
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