Issues Specific To The Internet

If your troubles stem from the internet or specific Web sites, read on for possible explanations and fixes that will have you surfing again in no time.

Unavailable Web site. Occasionally, you may be unable to access a Web site that you visited previously without any troubles. This can happen if the Web site's ISP (Internet Service Provider) temporarily disabled the site, if the administrator failed to renew the Web registry data, or if too many people try accessing the site at the same time. Often when a site you access is unavailable, you will receive the "HTTP 404 Not Found" error message. One way to know if a site is temporarily down is to check another commercial site to see if your Internet connection is active. If you can access some sites but not one particular site, you may simply need to try accessing the site at a later time. You can also try deleting your Internet temporarily files. To do this in Internet Explorer 7, for instance, open the Tools menu and select Internet Options. Next, click the Delete button under the Browsing History section and click Delete All. When you delete these temporary files, IE can access Web sites instead using of possibly outdated local files on your computer for a particular site.

Contact Your ISP. If you checked the common causes of Internet connection problems, such as a loose network cable or a disabled LAN card, consider contacting your ISP for technical support and ask about possible outages. Some ISPs experience occasional problems in certain areas. In fact, when you call for technical support, you may hear a recording that will list the affected cities and estimate timeframes for when the ISP will have the problem resolved. If there is a connection problem between your modem and the ISP, your provider may need to send out a technician to inspect the line. Before you request a technician, be sure to turn off the modem an wait a few minutes to refresh the settings and then turn the modem on again to see if you still experience problems. Also, try rebooting your computer and router (if you are using one)

Trouble With IE And Firefox. If you experience frequent system crashes while surfing the internet using IE or Mozilla Firefox, it is possible that the person responsible for designing the site didn't use the correct coding when building the site. This also may be the cause if you only see a few graphics load, before your browser closes suddenly or displays an error message. The solution, either avoid the site or try using a different browser. If you are using IE, for example , try downloading and running Firefox instead. A second common reason for crashes has to do with Windows XP. If other programs you use, such as Microsoft Word, or Adobe Photoshop, also tend to crash, you may have spyware or a virus loaded on your PC. It is also possible that your system has become unstable due to corrupted files or memory problems. If programs you use frequently tend to crash just as often as a Web browser, consider rebuilding the system by reinstalling WinXP or upgrading to Windows Vista. If your troubles are primarily with your browser crashing, you may need to reinstall IE.

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Can't Get Online (hardware trouble)

If a problem with your system's hardware prevents you from accessing the Internet, rebooting hardware will reset the device and may correct any problems.

Modem and Router Fixes. Whether you have a cable or DSL ( Digital Subscriber Lan) modem or a home router, you'll want to unplug the power cable, wait at least 15 seconds or up to a minute, and then reinsert the cable. The device will refresh itself and the IP (Internet Protocol) address will reset. An IP address is almost like a home mailing address or telephone number, the hardware might get occasionally confused about which address to use. Some hardware, such as the Belkin pre N Wireless Router, requires that you leave the device unplugged for as much as a minute for the refresh. If you're having trouble accessing the Internet and you recently configured your home router, you may need to perform a hard reset, which returns the router back to its factory default state. For many models, this means unplugging the power cable from the router, holding down the reset button, and plugging in the power cable as you hold down and release the reset button. Consult your router manual for the specific steps because some routers require that you press the reset button for a few seconds to perform a reset. Also, some cable modems, such as those made by Belkin, come with a button on the modem that disables Internet access. Make sure that button is not activated so you can get online. If you tried resetting your hardware and the device is still not working, you may need to call technical support and send the unit in for repairs. It's a good idea to inquire about warranties or repair costs, especially because you may be able to spend less on a new model than to pay for shipping and repair.

Cable Issues. Another common reason you may not be able to make an internet connection is because your network cable is unplugged or it isn't firmly seated in the LAN port. Check the back of your desktop or the LAN port on your laptop and make sure the cable is connected. On most computers, if the network cable is inserted correctly, you will see a green light indicating an active connection. After you confirm the cable is secure and that you have an active connection, try your browser again.

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Printer Won't Print (error messages)

Printing error messages fall into two categories, generic and model specific. If you do not see your error message listed here, it is likely specific to your printer. Query the Microsoft Knowledge Base (support.microsoft.com) using the exact error message as your search string, or contact the printer's manufacturer for further assistance. Generic printing messages in WinXP Home are fairly unusual, but you may encounter the one listed below.

Device Is Not Ready. This message indicates that Windows does not recognize the printer as being ready to accept data. Check the printer power and cable and make sure it is turned on and online. If you are using a network printer, make sure the network is up and you have the appropriate print permissions.

Incompatible Printer Driver. You'll see this error if you upgrade to WinXP and the existing printer driver is not compatible. Contact the manufacturer for an updated driver, delete the printer as described above, reinstall it, and then provide the new driver during installation.

Out Of Resources. This message indicates you have unsufficient memory or hard drive space. Close programs, free some drive space, and try to print again.

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The Printer Is Not Available

Open the Print display, and if your printer does not appear in the Name field, click the drop down arrow to the right. Look for it there. Another program may have installed a printer driver that moved your printer down the list. If you see it, select it. If you do not see your printer listed, it may not be installed properly or you may have accidentally deleted it.

Open the Printers And Faxes window. If you see your printed list, right click its icon and select Delete. Select Server Properties from the File menu, click the Drivers tab, and select your printer. Click Remove and confirm your decision. Shut down Windows and turn off the printer. Make sure your printer and PC are securely connected and the turn the printer back on and wait until it indicates a state of readiness. Restart Windows. Windows should locate and install the printer automatically. If not, check with the printer's manufacturer for updated installation or driver files.

If there is an updated executable (containing the .EXE file extension) installation program, download it to your PC, click the Start menu, select Run, and navigate to the file to install it. If not, check the printer's documentation to see if there are special installation instructions. Otherwise, return to the Printers And Faxes window and click Add Printer. Follow the instructions to add the printer automatically. Provide either the updated driver files or the files you originally installed if Windows prompts you to do so.

After the installation, locate the printer in the Printers And Faxes window, right click it and select Set As Default Printer. Your printer should now appear in all Print dialog boxes and function correctly.

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Printer Won't Print (document prints, but not as expected)

If your document does print, but the quality or colors are off or the text and graphics are improperly positioned on the page, it may be a problem with your printer. However, first check the printer settings in Windows. From the program in which you're trying to print, open the Print display and click Properties. Note that if you want to change these settings on a global rather than a document level, open Printers And Faxes, right click your printer's icon and select Printing Preferences ( the following options listed may vary depending on printer type).

For problems with color or print quality, click the Paper/Quality tab and make sure the color setting is correct. Use the dropdown menu to ensure the media type is correct. Click the Advanced tab. Look for choices relating to print quality (choose High Quality or Fine is print quality is poor), font substitution (don't allow substitution with devices fonts if text is not printing in the right type face), and other options.

Your printer's manual may help you sort through these options. If your pages are printing but appear cut off, click the Layout tab and check the paper orientation. You also may have created a page larger than your printer can reproduce. In the main Print display, under Zoom, set Scale To Paper Size to match the size of your printer sheet. If the settings are correct, check your printer to see if it needs maintenance. You may need to replaced exhausted print cartridge, clean or align the printer heads, and perform other tasks. If your printer offers the option to print a test page from the controls on the printer, do so and check the color quality and alignment. Finally, using low quality paper can reduce print quality. Use high quality printing paper, not copy paper.

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