Okay, I’m not sure what happened to yesterdays post… it was somehow deleted. Sorry!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Help Desk question- let’s take care of one more today. WFG reader Thaddeus has a question about quickly importing music.

I have a bunch of CD’s that I need to import onto my iPod. My problem? No time. Is there an easy way to import all my songs quickly?

Well Thaddeus, I have a solution. It’s something I adopted back in 2005 and have mentioned before. It’s been a while, though, so I’ll give it a re-hit. READ MORE »

Wow, it’s sure been a while since we’ve a done a Help Desk session. Let’s take care of that now with Matt’s question:

I have the original 30GB video iPod. The headphones just blew on them. I, obviously need new headphones, but I want the headphones that came with them with the black pads, not the new ones that started shipping a year ago. Is this possible?

Well, Matt, that is a yes and no. You can get new headphones and black pads, just not the set from years past. See what I mean after the break.

Okay- I first broke this over two years ago. At that time, with a valid serial number and Apple ID, you could get new headphones for free, complete with black pads. Due to my (and other people’s blogging ability), Apple has since discontinied this. You can still get new headphones for your iPod, but you have to have a current warranty and you have to send the old ones back.

That said, short of eBay, you’re stuck with the weird headphones that came out Fall 2006 (I think those are the ones you were referring to). However, you can get the black pads for them. Thanks to Radio Shack, you can get a package of pads for just $2.99. They are bigger and thicker than the ones that Apple ships, but I like. I think they make these weird new headphones sound better, as that’s what I use.

Okay, that was more than you needed. Unless you want to search, you’re stuck with the 2nd generation headphones, but you can get pads through Radio Shack. Hope that helps!. As always, if you have a Help Desk question, send it to helpdesk@wiredforgadgets.com.

Some people are quick to jump on the gun. Yesterday, I received three similar Help Desk emails that went something like this:

For Christmas, I got Apple Universal iPod Dock, which I love. It comes with a remote, but it interferes with my Mac. Any Ideas?

Under the tree this year I, too, received the Apple Universal iPod Dock (review to come in the next few weeks). It works with any dock-connector iPod and comes with a remote. The only problem with the remote, though, is that it runs the signal that the Mac remote does. So whenever I pressed play on the Mac, the dock would turn on, and visa versa with the Mac. iCaramba! This is also an issue with users of multiple Macs and users of the iPod Hi-Fi. So what to do? I’ll tell you after the jump. READ MORE »

Okay, so it’s really 4:3 or 16:9. As promised, I’ve brought back Help Desk to help out Sean who is confused about aspect ratio on his new T.V. Sean write:

I just bought a new TV. It’s widescreen (16:9), which is cool, but all my 4:3 programming now looks messed up. The TV allows me to change it’s ratio, as well as zoom. Which one is best for the T.V?

This is always a troubling topic for me, too. I can tell you, though, that it’s not as troubling as it may seem. See what I mean after the break. READ MORE »

It’s been a while since I’ve answered a Help Desk question. Let’s fix that with Mike’s question.

I just bought a flash drive with the U3 Launchpad on it. I can’t stand it! But reformatting the drive will not get rid of it. Any ideas?

I’m glad you asked that- it’s been bugging me too. For those who don’t know, the idea behind U3 Launchpad is that you can have your computer on a flash drive by carrying your documents and your favorite apps. Good concept, but poor in effectiveness. It comes on many flash drives (including the SanDisk Cruzer Micro, my personal favorite), but they don’t have a good way to get rid of it.

Through a quick search on Google, I found that you can indeed get rid of it. What you need is called the U3 Uninstaller. It’s free, and will remove the U3 software that you just love so much (*cough cough*). Just download the program, and run. That’s all there is.

I will tell you, though, the program is Windows only (So if you need, go to a friend’s house who has a PC). Also, it will erase anything and everything on there, so make sure you have everything you need backed up. Other than that it’s straight forward. Hope that helped!

You have a help desk question, please use the Wired For Gadgets Contact Form. Thanks!

NOTE: THIS POST WAS WRITTEN IN OCTOBER 2007 ON THE ORIGINAL iPOD TOUCH. I NO LONGER HAVE THE ORIGINAL ONE, NOR DO I HAVE THE THIS PROBLEM ANYMORE.

After last week’s review of the iPod Touch, emails have been pouring in about Wi-Fi issues. I didn’t mention this in the review, but I did have an issue with the Wi-Fi. The issue at hand is when your connect to the internet at home or in the office. I would connect to the internet, and I would try to load a web page. I would get the following message:

After some searching around, I found that it might be a DNS (Domain Name Server) issue. READ MORE »

One thing most computer users are picky about is the mouse that they use. Apple fans seem to like their Mighty Mouse. But reader Emily is having issues with her scroll ball.

My Mighty Mouse scroll ball isn’t working right anymore. The mouse won’t scroll down to the bottom of the page, but it will scroll up. Is there something I can do to fix this, or do I need to buy another mouse?

Here I come to save the day! (Pun Intended) Anyway, the reason your scroll ball isn’t working right is probably because there’s something stuck in there. There are a couple things you could try. The easiest thing to try is to get a can of compressed air, spray at a slight angle close to the ball. It will spin a little and shake loose anything disrupting it’s use. You could also a lint roller and roll that back and forth.

If neither of those do the trick, there is a further drastic method to clean in – take it apart. I came across a tutorial for doing just this. I will forewarn you that to put the mouse back together, you’ll need to superglue, which can be quite messy.

I hope this helps. If anyone else has a suggestion, please leave a comment.

Operation Mouse

Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve answered a help desk question. Today I shall fix that. Ryan wants some help spending money.

My friends have convinced me to buy a Mac. I’m looking at a laptop, but I don’t whether I should go with a MacBook or a MacBook Pro. What are your thoughts?

My answer after the jump. READ MORE »

Windows often times gets the best of us. Josh writes in:

My PC has been extremely slow lately. I tried the internet security programs you recommended earlier in the month, and still have had no luck. I friend of mine said there might be a rootkit. What is a rootkit, and how can I get rid of them.

This is where Windows users wish they had a Mac. Anyway, a rootkit is a set of software tools whose intent is to conceal running processes, files or system data from the operating system. Rootkits have their origin in benign applications, but recenly have been used increasingly by malware to help intruders maintain access to systems while avoiding detection.

In other words, it a program hidden in Windows that is acting as a backdoor for hackers. If there is a rootkit, then what’s happening is the rootkit is hiding a program being used by a hacker. This program could be used to steal passwords or credit card information. The malicious software could also set up your machine as a zombie in a denial-of-service attack.

So what can you do? Microsoft offers a Rootkit Revealer that shows inconsistent info in the system, a big clue towards a rootkit. If you indeed have a rootkit the best thing to do is to re-install windows. This may seem extreme, but it is the only way to ensure it is gone. Sure, you could just go in and delete the bad files, but there’s a good chance you can screw something up, and maybe leave part of it still in.

The only way to make sure the rootkit is 100% gone is by reinstalling. Just make sure, of course, you backup everything important first. Good luck. If you have a tech problem you need resolved, pop me an email to helpdesk@wiredforgadgets.com.

Time for more help. A frustrated Debbie writes in:

I turned on my PC the other day, and I saw the “Windows Starting” screen and walked away. When I came back, the screen was black and the computer not responding. When I try to restart it, I hear some beeping and no response from the computer. Is the computer dead or is there a way of reviving it?

That’s not good at all. If you’re getting a beep from the computer and nothing else, that usually means there is a serious hardware failure, to the point the computer can’t start (unless it’s a video failure).

There are a few ways of diagnosing this problem. If you hear loud and eerie clicking sound before the beeping starts, that probably means the hard drive is dead (R.I.P.). If that’s not the case, the beeping is the main way of figuring out what’s wrong. The beeping pattern the computer makes is it’s error code. Just like you get an Error 404 when a web address doesn’t exist, the beeping pattern is trying to tell you what the error is.

So how do figure out what the error is? There are a few places to go. If your computer is still under warranty, try manufacturer of your computer. Check their support site or call them. If your computer is not under warranty, try the manufacturer of your motherboard. If you don’t know your motherboard manufacturer, chances are you have a generic one. In which case, ComputerHope has a great list of Computer Beep Codes for common motherboard manufacturers.

Good luck, I hope you can back up in no time! If you’ve got a question you need answered, send it to helpdesk@wiredforgadgets.com.