Have your computer questions answered here! Search the PC Doctor archive or submit a question of your own at info@athollibrary.org
Dear PC Doctor,
My computer somehow got flipped sideways! Everything on the monitor ended up sideways in portrait mode instead of the standard landscape mode. I accidentally dropped a stack of books on my keyboard and it made the screen flip. How do I change it back??
Bradley
Dear Bradley,
Oops! Sounds like your computer must be running Windows XP. I've only seen this happen on computers running XP. I've tried replicating it on my Windows 7 computer and I've never been able to make it happen. Maybe I should try dropping a stack of books on my keyboard, hmm? Anyhow, it's an easy fix. Hold down CTRL and ALT while pressing the UP button on your keyboard. Your display should be back to a landscape Hopefully you haven't had to go for a while with your screen sideways!
PC Doctor
Dear PC Doctor,
Lately, my desktop computer has been making much more noise than it has in the past. It sounds like the fans are running almost all the time even when I might not be using the computer. Is there something wrong with my computer and is it alright for the fans to be on all the time?
Ian
Dear Ian,
It sounds like your computer is getting hot lately. With this current heat wave, I can see it affecting your computer, but if your fans are running round the clock, that's not a good sign. Usually it's just an accumulation of dust, however. Most likely the heat sink in you computer has become clogged with dust causing it to heat up faster and making the fans turn on in order to cool off your CPU. Your fans may have also collected a fair amount of dust causing them to not be able to cool of your computer easily. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try cleaning out the dust out yourself. Be sure to take precautions and turn off and unplug your computer before opening up the casing. If there's any dust problems it should be apparent when looking around. Use a soft brush to avoid hurting any delicate parts. However, if that doesn't solve your problem, you should probably let your local computer shop take a look at it. They may also be able to do a much better job at cleaning your computer off.
PC Doctor
Until next time… happy computing!
Posted: to Athol Library News on Tue, Jul 26, 2011
Updated: Tue, Aug 2, 2011