Dell Printers Doesn't Update Printer Driver

Issue exists on Dell 924, 944 and 964 printers wherein the user is unable to update the existing printer driver. The main reason for this whenever the user attempts to update the driver using the "Update Driver" button; the driver may just install a second copy or mirror of itself. This results to a second printer object with just a different name, normally "Dell Photo AIO Printer 9XX (copy 1)." and it automatically appears as default printer.

Dell's resolution to this as per the Dell's community forum website is to manually delete and rename the duplicate printer entries from "Printers and Faxes" option in Control Panel. A system reboot is necessary for changes to take effect.

After the restart, manually update the driver on the Dell Printer Solution Center as below:
* G11a, A02 for Photo All-in-One 924 printer.
* WebNet944EN32, A00-01 for Photo All-In-One 944 printer.
* G5A32-WP English, A01 for Photo All-in-One 964 printer.

The workaround should resolve the issue. For more of Dell technical updates and resource, logon to support.dell.com or go to Dell's Community Forum.

How to Clean up Mailbox in Outlook 2007

Usually when we have problems with Outlook running slow it has something to do with the PST file. This can be a corruption however it can also be a size issue. The maximum size for Unicode email PST file is 20GB nevertheless Microsoft has stated that anything over 800MB can be unstable. If you have narrowed the problem down to your PST file, follow these steps:

1. Check the total PST file size by clicking Tools, Mailbox Cleanup. Then click View Mailbox Size. This will show you the size, including any subfolders and without subfolders. Any files deleted will show a size decrease in real time.
2. Then compact the PST file by clicking File, Data File Management. (Make note of where the PST is kept for the second part of this procedure).
3. Double-click the PST file and click Compact Now.

If you are still having an issue with the PST file, run scanpst on the data file.

1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office 12.
2. At the top of the window, click Tools, Folder Options. Put the check in Show Hidden Files. Click Apply and OK.
3. In the Office 12 folder, double-click scanpst.exe. Click Browse, and then navigate to C:\Document and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook. (Or whatever the location is for the PST file you noted earlier). Highlight the PST file and click Start.
4. Let scanpst run to fix errors. Run it again until all errors are gone.

Dell Touchpad Stops Functioning after Windows Update

Users encounter non-functioning touchpad after a Windows Update called: IdeaCom Technology Inc IdeaCom Touch Screen. Both affect Windows XP and Vista platforms. Moreover, there have been reports with multiple system manufacturers who are experiencing this issue.

To fix this, follow the following steps to undo the update (these are keyboard strokes in case the user can no longer his/her touchpad or doesn’t have any external mouse available):

1. For Vista: Press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu and then type device. For XP: Press the Windows+R to open the Run window and then type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. In Vista, use the Down arrow key if necessary to select Device Manager from the search results list and press Enter. (If XP, skip to step 4.)
3. If you see a UAC prompt, press the Left arrow key to move the focus to the Continue button, and then press Enter. (Step 3 only applies with Vista)
4. Press Tab to move the focus into the device list. Use the Down arrow key to move to the Human Interface Devices category, press the Right arrow key to expand that category, and then use the Down arrow key to select the IdeaCom device.
5. Press Enter to open the shortcut menu for this device (or use Shift+F10, which is the universal keyboard shortcut that simulates a right-click, and then use the arrow keys to select Properties from the menu and press Enter).
6. From the Device dialog box, press Ctrl+Tab to move through the tabs until the Driver tab is visible.
7. Note that the R is underlined on the Roll Back Driver button text, indicating that it is an accelerator key. Press Alt+R to begin the driver rollback.

Plugging an external mouse should allow cursor movement. If the customer has a mouse, then perform the following steps after plugging in the mouse:

1. Open My Computer and go to the following location: C:\windows\system32\drivers.
2. Find a file named idcphid.sys and rename it to idcphid.old.
3. Now uninstall the IdeaCom HID Touch Screen (PS/2) driver under Human Interface Devices in Device Manager.
4. Restart computer.

That should completely remove the Windows Update and should revert to original touchpad/mouse properties before the update.

Type 1 and OTF Font Issues with nVidia Graphics Cards

A lot of users who have nVidia Graphics cards configured with their computers experience problems with Type 1 or OTF fonts. These nVidia GPUs cannot load any Type 1 or OTF fonts and the said issue even happens with TTF fonts, although very rare.

For users with a desktop system, they can just download the CUDA driver and usually it resolves the issue however but there is still no driver for portable nVidia video solutions. Here is a workaround from Adobe that will work for either desktop or portable:

Disclaimer: Export a backup copy of the registry before creating this key.

1. Click Start, Run, and type regedit. Click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager. Click on the Memory Management folder.
3. Right click in the open right pane. Choose New, DWORD value. For the name, call it SessionImageSize.
4. Right click the new value and choose Modify. Give it a decimal value of 20.
5. Close the Registry Editor. Reboot the system.

The Type 1 and OTF fonts should now open/install without any problems. Dell engineering is still waiting for nVidia to release a video driver update to fix the said issue.

Dell Mini 9 Blues: Desktop Icons Don’t Stay in its Assigned Position

Users may notice that their desktop icons won’t stay in their assigned positions instead they shift back to their original positions after a system restart. This is mostly experienced with Dell Mini 9 installed with the Windows XP operating system having a default screen resolution of 1024 x 600. Symptoms with Dell Mini 9s shipped with the Ubuntu operating system has not be replicated so far.

Dell engineering points Dell Mini 9’s BIOS version A03 as well as the earlier BIOS versions to be the main point-of-failure.

To fix this, just logon to support.dell.com and download BIOS version A04 or later, whichever is available. The recent BIOS have been recently updated by Dell engineering to address not only the desktop icon issues but also issues with its wireless, battery and power, and Ubuntu.


For more info, check out the topic posted in the Dell Community Forum and read through the discussions.

Source: http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19220588/19420756.aspx#19420756

QuickTime 3ivx Errors

Have you recently updated your old version of QuickTime from 6 or maybe 7? Have you noticed QuickTime failures directed to the source file 3ivx? It’s really annoying especially when you are in the middle of watching an exciting movie or video.

The 3ivx is actually a legacy plug-in needed for MPEG4 decoding in early versions of QuickTime however this gets left behind when you upgrade the player to its later versions, especially QuickTime 6 and 7.

Here are some simple steps to fix the 3ivx errors that come out after an upgrade to QuickTime 6 or 7:

1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\QuickTime.
2. Open the QTComponents folder.
3. You should see 1 QuickTime plug-in and 2 Windows dll files. Just delete them all.
4. Restart the system.

This fix should keep the 3ivx errors from coming out while you are in the middle of watching your favorite videos. Enjoy! :)

New WORM Released Affecting Systems Worldwide

I know, it’s been awhile and it’s not really a good thing to bring bad news after a long time of disappearance. However, it’s also always a good thing to bring-in a precautionary and contingency update as another first impression to all the would-be clueless users of computers.

Anyway, there’s a new worm in town out to annoy every nerve of you until you decide to throw your expensive paper-weight out the window. The WORM known as the W32\Conficker.b or W32\Downadup.b is continuing to spread globally and in light speed. The following are the possible symptoms of an affected system:
• Account lockout policies are being tripped;
• Automatic Updates, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Windows Defender, and Error Reporting Services are disabled;
• Domain controllers respond slowly to client requests;
• The network is congested;
• Various security-related Web sites cannot be accessed;

So how do we get this out of our precious machines? Customers who installed the Microsoft patch 958644 should be protected. Please follow standard troubleshooting steps. To read more, click here and here.

Dell™ 400 Wireless USB Mini-Card

Wireless USB (WUSB) is a technology which changes your portable cable free again. A Wireless USB hub is much like a regular USB hub except the hub connects to the computer wirelessly, without loss of speed, using Ultra-Wideband radio technology. To use a Wireless USB hub you need an Ultra-Wideband card. Dell™’s solution is the Dell™ 400 Wireless USB Mini-Card.

The Dell 400 is an Ultra-Wideband mini-card designed to connect to a Certified Wireless USB hub. USB devices are then plugged into the hub. Using the Dell 400 you can connect to the USB devices wirelessly. No more USB cables and devices hanging off the sides and back of your computer. Now your portable is portable again.

RTS DATE: 09/25/2007





Typical USB Devices Supported

Wireless USB is designed to be a simple and secure method to add wireless technology to your cabled USB devices. Some of the supported devices are listed below. For information on installing software, drivers and using the devices refer to "Types of Devices"

Mice
Keyboards
Printers
Scanners
Multi-Function Devices
Cameras
Hard Drives
Other USB Devices
Note:

The Dell 400 is bundled with a Belkin Wireless USB hub.
This hub uses PIN security to complete the association. The PIN is located on the bottom of the device or included in the documentation for the device. The PIN number is unique for each device, making the connection to the device secure.
Some devices support Numeric Compare association. Devices supporting this type of association must have a display, such as a camera, cell phone, or PDA. During this association process 2 numbers are generated. The numbers must be verified on the display of the device.
A WUSB hub can only be associated to one system at a time. There is no networking capability at this time. So if there are two computers in the room only one could connect to it.
The card doesn’t work with anything except a hub for now.
The important thing to remember is this card only supports devices which are Certified Wireless USB devices and carry the Certified WUSB logo.
As this technology progresses it will be able to do multimedia progressing.
Currently this card will be shipped only with the New Inspirons and all systems going forward.
Isochronous devices such as speakers, web cameras, and fax are not supported by the Dell 400 Wireless USB Mini-Card at this time.
Install the driver before installing the card in the system.
This card does not work with any other operating system and there are no drivers for any other operating system. If customer downgrades OS to XP then this card will not function.

Belkin USB HUB


LED above AC Adapter Connector

LED Off — the hub is not receiving any power from AC adapter.
LED Solid Blue — hub is receiving power but is not connected.
LED Flashing Blue — hub has a wireless connection.
LED above each USBPort

Off — No USB device plugged in.
Green — USB device recognized.
Amber — Over-current condition