Questions tagged [community-faq]
These questions have been selected by the community as high-quality posts with generalized answers to questions which come up frequently on Super User. They are more canonical answers which can apply to many different variations on a topic.
36
questions
6
votes
1
answer
20k
views
Computer doesn't boot up, shows PXE error and/or "operating system not found", "no bootable device", "insert boot media", or other similar error
My computer no longer boots Windows or the installed operating system. Instead, I may get this error:
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
-or-
Check cable connection!
PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.
...
- 45.5k
53
votes
3
answers
80k
views
What can I do if my USB flash drive is write-protected or read-only?
When I plug in my USB flash drive, it shows up on my computer as write-protected or read-only. I am unable to transfer data to it, nor can I modify or delete any files already stored on it. I also ...
- 45.5k
46
votes
4
answers
326k
views
USB flash drive not working or is appearing as an empty disk drive, Disk Management reports "No Media" with 0 bytes size
I have a USB flash drive which is no longer recognized by my computer. Windows Disk Management and DiskPart report No Media with no storage space (0 bytes) on the drive and I cannot partition or ...
- 45.5k
3
votes
1
answer
18k
views
Why does my computer beep when I turn it on? What are these beep codes?
Due to the amount of beep codes a PC can give, there are many questions on Super User about beep codes! I'm hoping this post will help to provide a community answer about all (dare I say all?) beep ...
- 25.3k
28
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How do I identify hardware I am unfamiliar with on my computer?
How would I go about identifying a port, card or connector on my system which I am unfamiliar with?
Where would I find information on what these parts are?
What would be the steps I would take in ...
- 126k
42
votes
5
answers
16k
views
Why are newer generations of processors faster at the same clock speed?
Why, for example, would a 2.66 GHz dual-core Core i5 be faster than a 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo, which is also dual-core?
Is this because of newer instructions that can process information in fewer clock ...
- 7,978
5
votes
3
answers
6k
views
I don't have a touchscreen. How can I do gestures on my Windows 8 laptop's touchpad?
I just got a new Windows 8 laptop, but it doesn't have a touchscreen, and it seems like a lot of the gestures are designed for touchscreens, and not current mice & touchpads. Is there a way to use ...
- 3,647
6
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How do I recover or "undelete" files that I accidentally deleted?
I've accidentally deleted some really important files on my machine, and I'm looking to find out how to recover them. Using the Trash bins "restore" isn't an option, as the files aren't there (mostly ...
- 26.2k
17
votes
2
answers
64k
views
My keyboard is typing by itself, could there be a ghost in it?
The keyboard on my laptop seems to be typing by itself:
It sometimes types characters like 134, whether by itself or when I hit certain keys.
Repeating characters may appear unexpectedly.
The system ...
- 45.5k
6
votes
1
answer
454
views
How can I tell which versions of Windows 8 a program will work on?
I've heard that there are two versions of Windows 8, and that some programs will only work on certain versions. What are the different versions of Windows 8, and how can I tell whether a particular ...
- 37.1k
52
votes
5
answers
8k
views
What is the difference between Windows 8 and Windows RT?
I was reading the specs about MS Surface and saw that there are two Models offered. One with Windows RT and one with Windows 8 Pro. I'm wondering what's the difference between those two OS?
- 1,046
26
votes
1
answer
48k
views
How to Diagnose a Pre-Operating System Load or Hardware Issue
How can I find out if my problem is hardware based?
If it is, how can I figure out what component is to blame
How can I fix other pre-operating system issues?
As an aside, what are all of these ...
4
votes
3
answers
9k
views
How can I know I'm buying a heatsink that will work with my CPU?
How can I find out what CPU heatsink and fan will work for my system?
If a system is shutting down after being used extensively for gaming or other intensive activities, I would assume it is over ...
- 41
6
votes
7
answers
34k
views
Why do applications "need to close" or "stop working", and what can I do about it?
While I use a application, the following error message appears (depending on the version of Windows):
Windows XP
[application name] has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for ...
127
votes
1
answer
20k
views
Windows Activation FAQ: How do language, version, 64-bit or 32-bit, and source affect ability to install and transfer Windows licenses?
We get a lot of questions on Super User about Windows activation and licensing. This question is an attempt to answer the most common questions in one place with a canonical answer.
When reinstalling ...
- 37.1k
71
votes
5
answers
14k
views
What do I need to consider when buying hardware to meet my needs?
I'm looking to build a new computer from the ground up. I'm not sure what to look out for and need guidance and help on how to pick the hardware needed to construct my new rig.
How do I know what to ...
404
votes
5
answers
1.0m
views
What are PATH and other environment variables, and how can I set or use them?
Questions about
setting environment variables
the PATH
are very common here, and in most cases the answers are very similar to each other. In the future it would be nice to have a good Q/A for this....
- 221k
236
votes
1
answer
505k
views
What is port forwarding and what is it used for?
There are a lot of questions on 'port forwarding', but there doesn't seem to be one that clearly states what it is and what it's used for. So:
What is port forwarding?
What is it used for, and why ...
16
votes
3
answers
10k
views
What should a person know before assembling their first computer?
For people who are setting out to build a computer for the first time, there's a lot of information on this site about how to choose an appropriate set of components. But after searching for a while, ...
44
votes
9
answers
215k
views
How do I determine which graphics card I'm using?
I recently read this answer on Gaming.SE, which made me realize that I actually have no idea how to tell which graphics card I have in my PC. Where can I find this information?
- 535
39
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How do I troubleshoot when I have no clue where to start?
I am looking for hints, tips and answers on how to get started on troubleshooting when:
The problem is intermittent
The problem could lie literally anywhere - operating system; free source software; ...
- 559
55
votes
8
answers
20k
views
How do I recover lost/inaccessible data from my storage device?
What steps can I take to try to recover lost or inaccessible data from any storage device?
Answers:
This applies to any computer storage device, e.g. internal/external hard drives, USB sticks, flash ...
57
votes
4
answers
32k
views
How do I diagnose not being able to reach a specific website as an end user?
If I can generally reach web pages on the Internet but can't reach a specific one, how do I troubleshoot what the cause is as an end user?
This question was a Super User Question of the Week.
...
- 4,329
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How do computers boot?
How does a computer boot and how does this differ for Windows, Linux and other OSes?
22
votes
6
answers
62k
views
Where should I find drivers for my Windows computer if it didn't come with a driver disk?
I had to reformat my machine because I had a virus. My machine did not come with a driver disk. How can I install drivers after having reinstalled Windows?
- 221
22
votes
3
answers
36k
views
How do I troubleshoot hardware issues related to a computer freeze/crash?
What are some common guidelines and issues related to hardware being the issue of a computer crash?
What should I look for and how do I troubleshoot these problems?
What are some tools that are ...
22
votes
8
answers
1k
views
What are some good practices for making sure my laptop battery serves its full life?
Basically, I'm looking for some do's and don'ts. Is it bad to keep my laptop plugged in when I'm not using it (majority of the time)? Is it bad to plug it in once I've finished using it (with it ...
- 229
28
votes
4
answers
30k
views
How can I get the product keys for software on my PC?
How can I find the product keys for my Windows operating system and software installed, like Office, Adobe Creative Suite, and other software which requires an activation key?
rcmz
466
votes
18
answers
323k
views
How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC?
What should I do if my Windows computer seems to be infected with a virus or malware?
What are the symptoms of an infection?
What should I do after noticing an infection?
What can I do to get rid of ...
206
votes
7
answers
305k
views
Where can I download Windows 7 (legally from Microsoft)?
I just bought a serial for Windows 7 on-line from the Microsoft store (the most painful shopping experience EVER!). I selected that I wanted to download my version of Windows 7 after purchase. After ...
- 2,639
175
votes
17
answers
289k
views
What can I do if I forgot my Windows password?
I got a brand new Windows 7 machine, installed the operating system, created one account and forgot its password. What can I do?
There is no external CD, the operating system is loaded from somewhere ...
- 4,020
68
votes
7
answers
88k
views
Install Windows 7 from USB flash drive
I have an ISO image of the Windows 7 installation DVD, but I can't burn it to CD or DVD. I have an empty flash drive with plenty of space. Is there any way I can put the ISO image on it and install ...
user5828
93
votes
9
answers
37k
views
Why does Windows only show about 3.5 GB of my 4 GB of RAM?
I recently upgraded my computer's RAM to 4 GB. My 32-bit Windows installation shows only 3574 MB of the memory. How can I make Windows use the full amount of RAM?
- 1,180
57
votes
8
answers
107k
views
HDMI vs Component vs VGA vs DVI vs DisplayPort
What are the pros and cons of each of these different display adapters and cables?
From what I can understand, HDMI offers the ability to send audio along the same cable as well as the ability to do ...
- 673
42
votes
4
answers
209k
views
How to choose a UPS / calculate power for a new PC
Seven years ago a friend gave me a Liebert PowerSure 250 UPS and it has done well for whatever (home) PC and monitor I've plugged into it over the years. I've just ordered a new PC with the Intel core ...
- 583
307
votes
23
answers
169k
views
How can I visualize the file system usage on Windows?
How can I visualize which folders and files are taking up all of the space on my hard drive?
I'm getting some conflicting reports on the size of hard drive contents. Namely what is and isn't there ...