Still Using Windows XP?

My laptop is Vista, however my wife's laptop, and our home desktop is XP.

This is a reprint from Kim Komando's tip for today. You can get it in your email along with a couple other newsletters by clicking on her picture on the lower right side of this page.

Her radio show airs Sunday afternoons on WOWO locally.

Here's Kim:

I downloaded and installed Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. My computer would not boot on restart, or thereafter. After removing all hardware connections, the computer worked fine. I then used a restore point to get the computer to work with peripherals. My question: Have there been problems with the SP3 download?

Numerous problems have been reported online. Some were memory conflicts. Others apparently were caused by USB conflicts or conflicts with security programs. All are certainly irritating.

Microsoft is offering free support for SP3 problems. It is available through E-mail or chat. The latter should be the most helpful. More information is available at Microsoft's site.

Your problem may be with USB peripherals. Others have reported an inability to boot with that conflict. The fact that you could boot after removing peripherals sounds like a smoking gun.

I found a similar situation online from a Dell owner. His problem apparently was the USB mouse and keyboard.

Your mouse and keyboard must work, because you used System Restore. I suggest that you reinstall SP3. Assuming your problem recurs, disconnect the peripherals. Hopefully, SP3 will then work. Reinstall the peripherals one-by-one. You should find the culprit.

The problem is probably a bad driver. Drivers are programs that tell Windows how to interact with peripherals.

If you can narrow it down, Microsoft should be able to help. Aid is available Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific time. That's 8 a.m. to midnight, Eastern time. Weekends, the technicians work from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pacific time.

If nothing works, you can exist without SP3. It includes all the updates issued over the years for XP. So you should already be protected. Just be sure you stay current on updates.

Are you still using XP? Here are some tips that could help you:

• Access your home computer while you're away
• Back up the registry
• Add a print option in Windows
• Check for errors in XP
• Problems with scheduled tasks

Coming up in Monday's Tip: Buying an inexpensive laptop.

WOW! AN EXTRA HOUR THIS WEEKEND!
This Saturday morning, I will be taking your calls for a whole four hours! The extra hour will be broadcast when I take a summer trip. So, if you have a question about something digital, let me help! It takes just three easy steps: 1.) Call the LIVE broadcast. That's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the East Coast, or, if you live on the West Coast, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2.) Know the phone number. It is, of course, toll-free 1-888-825-5254. 3.) Talk to me. That's all there is to it!

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