Q: Over the last two weeks, my computer has been freezing. I have to wait for one or two minutes for everything to unfreeze. Two knowledgeable friends do not have a solution. Do you?
— Dean Massingill
A: Think of a computer freeze as the equivalent of running a fever. It tells you something is wrong, but without more information it's impossible to know if the patient has the measles, an infection or a cold. When a computer freezes there are dozens of possible causes, including bad hardware, static electricty, a computer virus or adware problem; the list goes on.
Here's a Web page that covers those possibilities and many others: tinyurl.com/bkpf83. If you want to tackle this problem yourself rather than taking the machine into a shop, explore each possible cause.
Q: I want to buy a laptop. My question is, should I buy a laptop now with Vista or wait for the new OS, which I hear is going to be available very soon, or buy a Mac? It's all so confusing.
— Madeline Litt
A: If you buy a new PC — desktop or laptop — with Vista installed, you'll also get a coupon that will let you get the new version of Windows free when it comes out in October. Make sure the coupon is included. It should be, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious.
I've written entire columns on the Mac vs. PC question but, in brief, either should work fine for you. Macs are often favored — rightly so — because they are less likely to be troubled by viruses or adware. PCs are an excellent choice for those who enjoy games.
Also, in my opinion — others may disagree — you will get more computing power for your buck with a PC. But even that imbalance is rapidly changing, so there's really no wrong choice here.
Q: I noticed today that there's a small black spot on my flat screen monitor. How do I get rid of it?
(Name withheld)
A: Even the best flat screens often have a dead pixel (the tiny points of light that create the picture) or two. That'll show up as a tiny dark spot.
However, based on the size of your dark spot, I'll bet something banged into or pressed against the screen. If that's the case, you'll either need to replace the screen or live with the spot. The lesson here is to avoid pressing hard against a flat panel screen.
HAVE A QUESTION?
Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud(at)bellsouth.net. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.