When Microsoft rolled Vista out, a lot of people did not find it to be the fantastic next big thing Microsoft had assured us it would be. They traded XP in for a flashy, though often unwieldy, design and a slew of compatibility issues. Consequently, with the release of Windows 7, it is really no surprise that a lot of people are wary of trading in Vista for the newest unknown factor. Whether you like Vista, do not like Vista but have gotten used to it, or refused to give up your copy of XP Pro, it is natural that you may still be curious and wonder if Windows 7 is right for you and your system. It does offer a lot of new features, an updated interface, and some promised improvements over issues that Vista suffered from – but are they worth it for you? Will Windows 7 be something you can both use and enjoy? To find out, you need to know more about these new features, and we are going to take a look at one of the biggest ones – the new Taskbar interface and its associated features.

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If you are thinking about getting Windows 7 for your PC and upgrading from your current operating system, whether it's XP or Vista, then you will certainly want to know as much about it as possible so that you can make an informed decision. One of the things that Microsoft is pushing pretty hard when it comes to the Windows 7 release is its Aero desktop interface. Microsoft contends that Windows 7's Aero desktop interface will make using your desktop more useful and efficient, and that it also looks better while you are doing it. So what is Aero all about?

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When you get a brand new PC and boot it up for the first time, everything runs like clockwork – it's smooth, error free, and most of all – it is FAST. But over time, as you use that new PC and install and uninstall programs, create and delete files, and just generally use the machine for what it is intended for, you will notice it starting to slow down. Sometimes, it slows down considerably. And when that slow down happens, whether it's a process that happens bit by bit, over time, or all at once, you will start to long for the days of that brand new and speedy PC. But you don't have to go out and buy a whole new computer to get that quick PC back. You don't even have to take it in to an expensive computer repair shop to get it fixed. No – you can be your own IT and fix a slow computer yourself, and you don't need a pricey degree from the local computer repair school to do it, either!

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Computers are complex machines that require many parts to run. To run well, all of those parts must stay in good repair, and that requires regular maintenance and the occasional replacement or upgrade. But you do not have to run out to the local computer repair store every time you need to have something fixed. You can be your own little IT department and take care of business at home, without the expensive labor fees on top of the parts fees!

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If your computer runs well, then you don't tend to pay much attention to it. But if it starts slowing down, then you definitely notice – and probably get frustrated, too. The truth is that there are many different potential causes if your computer has begun to slow down for seemingly no reason, from viruses to just plain too many files. The good news is that you can learn how to fix computer speed issues like this yourself, and once you know how to fix them, you will also know how to prevent it from happening again in the future!

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In part one of this series on Troubleshooting Your PC's Hardware, we discussed how to get started determining what could be causing an issue with any devices in your computer system that have stopped working, whether they were working fine before or they are brand new and have yet to work. In that installment, you should have asked yourself several questions and used the answers to figure out how to proceed from there. If you answered “yes” to the following question:

1.) Did you just install this device? If so, is this the first time this type of device has ever been installed in your computer?

Then you are in the right spot. In this installment, we will cover the next steps to take if this is a new device you have just installed and have never used in this particular computer system before. There were also two more questions related to this one to answer in Part 1, and that is how you begin to correct the problem. They were:

• Did you install the driver for this device? All new computer hardware components require a device driver to work. A driver is a little program that tells your operating system how to use the device.

If you did not install the driver for this device, then do so now. Drivers for hardware can be found either on the disk that came with the device itself or from the device's manufacturer's website. If that does not solve the problem, move on to the next question:

• Did you check for conflicts in the Device Manager after you installed the device? Even though the device may have appeared to install fine, it could still be having issues getting along with the other devices already installed and working properly on your computer system.

Open up Device Manager and find out if you are experiencing any conflicts. If you see that one is happening, then proceed to the article on how to resolve device conflicts to see if that solves the problem.

If neither action resolves the problem, you should check to see if there are any updated or new drivers on the manufacturer's website that you can try. If that does not correct the issue or one is not available, then try installing the device on another computer system to see if it works. If it does, then there is an issue with your own computer system. If it does not, then you may have picked up a faulty device, which does happen from time to time. Replace the device if possible.

In parts one and two of this series on how to troubleshoot your PC's hardware issues, we discussed both how to get yourself started out on the right track and how to troubleshoot new devices you have never used in this particular computer system before. In this installation, Part 3, we will discuss how to troubleshoot devices you have installed to replace a device of the same make and model that was used in this particular computer system before. So if you answered “yes” to the following question, then you are in the right place:

2.)    Did you just install this device to replace an old device of the same make and model?

The next steps to take are basically the same as they were for troubleshooting new devices, with a few extra things to check on. Again, begin with the following related questions:

•    Did you install the driver for this device? All new computer hardware components require a device driver to work. A driver is a little program that tells your operating system how to use the device.

If you did not install the driver for this device, then you should go ahead and do so. You can find the driver either on the disk that the manufacturer provided and that came with the device, or by checking the manufacturer's website to download it. If that does not correct the problem, then take a look at the second question:

•    Did you check for conflicts in the Device Manager after you installed the device? Even though the device may have appeared to install fine, it could still be having issues getting along with the other devices already installed and working properly on your computer system.

Check Device Manager for any conflicts. If you find one, proceed to the article on how to resolve device conflicts and attempt to solve the problem that way. If that does not correct the issue, you should look to see if any newer drivers are available on the manufacturer's website. If that further does not correct the problem or there are no newer drivers to use, then try the following:

•    Did you remove or disable the old version of this device before installing the new one? If not, do so.
•    Did you remove the old device driver before installing the new one? If not, proceed to the article on how to remove drivers from your computer.

If neither solution corrects the problem, attempt to install the device on another computer system to see if it works. If not, you may have been given a bad device and it may need replaced.

Welcome to part 4 of Be Your Own IT's series on troubleshooting your PC's hardware issues. In previous installments, we have so far examined how to get started off on the right track with your hardware issue, how to troubleshoot a brand new device that has never been used in your computer system before, and how to troubleshoot a new device that has been installed to replace an old device of the same make and model. In this installment, we will cover the third type of scenario you may experience: when a device has suddenly stopped working, though you have made no changes to that particular device or your computer system's hardware in general.

When a device that was working fine before suddenly stops working fine, it can be very frustrating. The process for troubleshooting this type of issue differs from the process for new devices and replacement devices, though some of the steps are the same. You should still first check for any new or updated drivers on the device manufacturer's website. If any are available, download them and install them to see if that corrects the problem. If not, check for conflicts with your devices in the Device Manager. Sometimes, these can crop up suddenly even if all of your devices were previously working correctly before.

If neither of these solutions correct your problem, then you need to try removing the driver that is currently there and reinstalling it. To find out how to remove a driver correctly if you are not sure how to do it, please see the Be Your Own IT article on that process. Once it is gone, then try reinstalling the driver that came with the device. For in depth instructions on how to install a driver from a disk, please see the article on that process! Then reboot the computer and check for device conflicts again.

If that does not correct the problem, then proceed to Part 5 of this article series on troubleshooting your PC's hardware issues.

Sometimes, regardless of the different fixes you try, you cannot fix whatever problem is happening with your PC. In the previous installments in this article series, we discussed various aspects of how to troubleshoot your PC's hardware issues. We've covered how to get started off on the right foot and down the right path towards fixing the issue, how to troubleshoot new devices that have never been installed in that particular computer system before, how to troubleshoot devices that have been installed to replace old devices of the same make and model, and how to troubleshoot devices that have not had any changes made to them at all and only suddenly quit working.

If you followed all of the steps outlined in the previous installments of this series and the device is still not working correctly, you may now be feeling like you are at something of a loss. There could be several different reasons that the device is still non functioning, and those potential reasons are as follows:

1.)    The device itself may be faulty. You may have purchased a bad device, and a replacement device may correct the issue. Or your previously functioning device may have been damaged somehow due to overheating, dropping or corrosion, or some other sort of physical damage, even just simple wear and tear due to normal use.

2.)    You may have an overcrowded PC. Much like a wall socket in your home, if you plug too many things into a computer, it may short out and mess up, so to speak. If you have more devices installed on your PC than its processor, memory and other components can handle, then your PC may just simply be too full. Sound cards, video cards, joysticks or other video game controllers, multiple disk drives, multiple hard drives and more may be too much for your PC to handle. If you have recently added a new component that is NOT the malfunctioning component, try removing and uninstalling it to see if you can correct the problem that way. If you have not recently added a new component or device, you can try disabling components one by one until the malfunctioning device begins to work again.

So when you feel like all else has failed, don't give up hope entirely. At the very worst, you will just have to replace the device. At best, you will find out your computer's limitations and know in future how many components and peripherals your PC can handle before it becomes overloaded.

There always comes a day when something in your PC that was working fine last time you used it is now not working fine. Whether the device is just acting strange or has stopped working entirely, it can cause a lot of frustration for you as a PC user. The key to getting the problem fixed correctly and in the least amount of time possible is starting the troubleshooting process off on the right foot. By answering a few simple questions for yourself, you can eliminate having to waste time by going down the wrong repair avenue and then having to back track. And the great thing about this is that you don't have to spend a ton of money getting an IT degree or dragging your computer down to the expensive local repair shop to do get it taken care of! You can be your own IT and solve your computer woes on your own.

To figure out how to fix a problem, you have to first figure out what the problem actually is. And to figure out what the problem actually is, you have to start at the beginning. When a hardware component or device on your PC suddenly stops working, answer the following questions for yourself to help you determine how to proceed from there.

1.)    Did you just install this device? If so, is this the first time this type of device has ever been installed in your computer?

2.)    Did you just install this device to replace an old device of the same make and model?

3.)    Did you make no changes to your computer at all?

If you can answer yes for either question 1 or question 2, then answer these questions:

1.)    Did you install the driver for this device? All new computer hardware components require a device driver to work. A driver is a little program that tells your operating system how to use the device.

2.)    Did you check for conflicts in Device Manager after you installed the device? Even though the device may have appeared to install fine, it could still be having issues getting along with the other devices already installed and working properly on your computer system.

Once you have answered these questions, you will have a better idea of how to proceed. To address and correct these issues, please see the subsequent articles in this series on Be Your Own IT for a thorough walk through for each!