Dave's Computer Repair Blog – How using third-party DNS can speed up your internet
DNS, or Domain Name Servers translate a web address (URL) into the language spoken by the internet, IP addresses. My website URL is https://www.davescomputers.com/, which you type in to get here. But the server my website sits on is actually 216.119.152.127. DNS translates that www. address into the server’s IP address, making sure you arrive at the right place. This is called a DNS lookup.
It works much like a phone directory. You look up someone’s name (the URL) and the directory tells you their number (their IP address). You dial that number and connect to the person you wanted to call. A DNS server is that phone directory.
There are huge DNS servers on the internet and smaller ones run by your ISP. Depending on the efficiency of your ISPs DNS server, it can take a fraction of a second to perform a DNS lookup or a couple of seconds. Shaving this time as much as possible means websites are found and loaded faster.
Google and OpenDNS are two of many fast DNS services that could potentially speed up your surfing experience. They are also two of the most reliable. There are others too. Which is fastest depends on where in the world you live.
How to find the fastest DNS server for your location
If you think you would benefit from changing your DNS server, here’s how to do it.
- Download Namebench from Google.
- Extract and run the program. It will take a little while but it will explore the fastest DNS servers for your region.
- Open your router’s config page and take a screenshot of your existing DNS servers. You will usually find these on the ‘Internet’ page or something like it. This differs between routers.
- Replace the two DNS addresses with the fastest ones found by Namebench.
- Save and reboot both your router and your computer.
Other reasons to consider third party DNS servers
OpenDNS offers a range of parental controls, allowing you to control where and when your child can surf while at home. As a result of this feature, it can also protect from some phishing websites too.
Both OpenDNS and Google DNS offer DNSSEC, which is an extra level of security that ensures DNS records are legitimate and not faked. This prevents you being sent to a website you didn’t ask for or that has been hijacked. Finally, if you live somewhere that censors the internet or geoblocks content, there are special DNS services that help you overcome those limitations too.
Changing your DNS server isn’t exactly necessary. But if you’re like me and like to tweak your computer or get as much performance as possible out of it, this is a useful change to make.
Thank you for reading Dave's Computer Repair Blog, if you ever need computer repair or data recovery assistance give us a call or fill out the contact form on the bottom right of the website.Windows 10 Black Screen Issues can be a real pain. Even a Blue Screen of Death is more informative than your monitor turning black and giving you nothing. Typically, these black screens happen just after a Windows update or as you log in. It seems no amount of key pressing or mouse clicking can fix it. Fortunately, the experts at Dave’s Computers can.
There are a couple things you can do to fix Windows 10 black screen issues depending on when it occurs. If you’re experiencing this problem, here is what you can do.
Fix Windows 10 black screen issues
There are four ways that we know of to address these black screen problems. Let’s begin with the simplest.
- Press Ctrl on your keyboard. While you won’t see anything happen, bear with us.
- Type in your Windows 10 login password and then Enter. Windows may log you into the desktop as normal. If it doesn’t, try step 3.
- Hit Enter, retype your password and hit Enter once more. This will retest this quick fix and make sure the password is entered in the right place.
Sometimes, login gets stuck loading your profile and will present a black screen. By hitting Ctrl, you select the password box in the login screen. Entering your password should log you in as usual and allow Windows to load your profile and your desktop as normal.
If that doesn’t work and you have just installed or upgraded Windows 10, check your monitor cable. Windows can often default to a different configuration than you would like and may switch between an onboard graphics chip and a graphics card. If your motherboard has onboard graphics, plug your monitor into the DVI/VGA port on the motherboard and retest.
Otherwise:
- Start your computer with your Windows 10 installation media inserted and boot from it.
- Select Troubleshoot instead of Install in the bottom left of the new screen.
- Select Advanced Options, Startup Repair and let Windows do its thing. If there are file issues, this should repair it.
If it doesn’t:
Boot your computer with your Windows 10 installation media inserted and boot from it.
- Select Troubleshoot instead of Install in the bottom left of the new screen.
- Select Advanced Options and Safe Mode. Press F5 and let Windows reload.
- Install the latest graphics driver for your computer and reboot and retest.
In most cases, one of these will fix Windows 10 black screen issues. If you still can’t fix it or have any other computer problem you need help with, contact Dave’s Computers today at 908-428-9558. We’re here to help!The PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error is a blue screen error that is caused by Windows not being able to find a piece of data it expected to find. It can indicate a memory error, physical memory issues, a driver error or Windows swap file issue. All but one of those is fixable without needing to buy new memory.
Steps to fix PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA errors
The PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA manifests itself as a blue screen (BSOD). It may appear intermittently or it may appear regularly, it varies from computer to computer. I’m going to list a few ways you can troubleshoot it. As always, try each step individually and reboot. If the error stops appearing, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
- Remove any recently installed drivers, especially third-party unsigned ones. Drivers are a common cause of this memory fault so this is a good place to start.
- Uninstall any programs or hardware you added immediately before the error started appearing and retest.
- Open a CMD window as an administrator and type ‘Chkdsk /f /r’. Allow the process to complete and make any repairs it needs.
Reset Windows virtual memory settings
If the above steps didn’t work, try disabling and re-enabling Windows virtual memory management.
- Navigate to Control Panel, System and Security, System, Advanced System Settings.
- Select Settings next to Performance and then Advanced.
- Select Change under Virtual memory.
- Uncheck the box next to ‘Automatically manage paging file size…’.
- Perform all the above steps in reverse and recheck the box next to ‘Automatically manage paging file size…’.
- Reboot once more and retest.
Check your RAM
Once we have eliminated the most likely software culprits, it’s time to look at hardware.
Download and run MemTest86+. Run the tests, swap memory sticks and slots and run the test again. If the fault follows the memory stick, it is likely the RAM itself at fault. If the errors stay on the same slot, the memory slot may be at fault. Try moving to a different memory slot altogether and run the test again.
It is possible to ignore a fault memory slot if you have spares. Otherwise, you may need to consider a new motherboard.
Do you know of any other ways to troubleshoot ‘PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA’ errors? Let us know below if you do!
Disappearing notification icons are actually a common occurrence in Windows 10, with the internet and Wi-Fi icons being primary among them. For some reason, what should be a very simple element of Windows 10 is more problematic than it should be. If your internet or Wi-Fi icon has disappeared from the notification tray, here’s how to fix it.
Return the internet icon to the notification tray in Windows 10
Getting the icons back into the notification tray should be as simple as re-enabling them. However, first we should check that your network and/or Wi-Fi are actually working.
- Navigate to Control Panel, Network and Internet and View status and tasks.
- Click ‘Change adapter settings’ on the left to bring up a new window with all your network hardware.
- Check your Ethernet and Wi-Fi cards are enabled.
If they are enabled and seem to be working correctly, check the notification area itself.
- Navigate to Settings, System, Notifications & actions.
- Make sure ‘Show app notifications’ is turned on.
- Click the ‘Turn system icons on or off’ text link.
- Select Network and switch it off then back on again.
- Select Wi-Fi (if enabled) and switch it off then back on again.
In the vast majority of cases forcing Windows to turn network notifications on and off again is enough to bring the icons back to the notification area. The icons should now behave normally, for a while at least!
If you’re seeing an error that says ‘The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b)’ it means something has gone wrong with the program or with Windows files that the program needs to access. While it sounds serious, it is actually quite straightforward to address.
With some basic Windows troubleshooting techniques, we can fix the error and get your program working properly again.
Fixing ‘The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b)’ errors
When fixing file errors in Windows 10, we take a systematic approach. It is often a process of elimination beginning with the simplest fix and moving onto the more involved ones. Perform each step, retest the program that was giving the error and stop once it works properly again. Otherwise continue onto the next step.
- Reboot your computer.
- Run the program as an administrator. Right click the program executable (ends in .exe or labeled as Application in Windows Explorer) and select ‘Run as administrator’.
- Run the program in compatibility mode. Right click the program executable and select ‘Troubleshoot compatibility’. Choose the previous version of Windows and retest.
- Ensure you have the latest Windows updates, graphics and sound drivers. Update as necessary and reboot your computer.
- Reinstall Microsoft C Runtime packages. You can download these files directly from Microsoft. Install them, reboot and try again.
- Re-install the program giving the error.
- If it’s a game giving the 0xc000007b error, you may be missing essential DLL files and .NET framework files. Re-install or download the files as necessary.
- Open a CMD window as an administrator and type or paste ‘chkdsk c: /f /r’. This will check your file system for issues. It won’t pick up everything but is a good troubleshooting tool.
- Reinstall DirectX. DirectX is packaged with graphics drivers Microsoft also makes it available as a separate download.
- Uninstall your graphics drivers and reinstall them. Make sure to use the uninstall facility within the driver software, reboot, then perform the reinstall.
‘The application was unable to start correctly (0xc000007b)’ errors can be caused by a variety of missing files, which is why we have to perform this process of elimination. In the vast majority of cases, one of these steps will fix the issue.
If you know of any other ways to fix it, let us know below!
Safe Mode is an important Windows 10 troubleshooting tool that any power user should become familiar with. It allows you to access usually locked Windows files and drivers as well as circumventing Windows file protection. This allows a lot of freedom when fixing Windows faults. If you would like to know how to boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode, read on.
Boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode
There are two main methods of booting into Safe Mode within Windows 10. Both get you to the same place, just in different ways.
MSConfig
- Type ‘msconfig’ into the Search Windows/Cortana box.
- Select the Boot tab and check the box next to ‘Safe boot’ in Boot options.
- Click Apply. Windows will tell you it needs to reboot for the settings to take effect. Hit Restart when you’re ready.
- Once the computer boots, select Troubleshoot.
- Select Advanced options and then Startup Settings in the next windows.
- Select Restart when prompted.
Start Menu
- Left click on the Start Menu.
- Hold down the shift key and left click on Power.
- Keep holding shift and click Restart.
- Once the computer boots, select Troubleshoot.
- Select Advanced options and then Startup Settings in the next windows.
- Select Restart when prompted.
Both methods will boot Windows 10 into Safe Mode. Once you’re there you will be presented with three main options in Startup Settings. Choose F4 for Safe Mode, F5 for Safe Mode with Networking or F6 for Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Know any other ways to get Windows 10 into Safe Mode? Let us know below!
A repair installation of Windows 10 reinstalls the operating system while retaining all your files, folders and media. It is a task of last resort once other troubleshooting steps have been unsuccessful, but it is very effective. If you need to perform a repair installation of Windows 10, this is how you do it.
You will need administrator access to the system, 9GB of free space on your primary hard drive, Windows 10 installation media of the same version you’re using and this guide.
Repair installation of Windows 10
First we need to prepare your computer for the task ahead. You will need to turn off any third-party security tools you have installed if you use them. That means firewall, antivirus, malware scanners, file encryption tools and anything else that monitors file changes or locks access to files and folders.
Then:
- Save any files you absolutely cannot live without onto a different disk or into the cloud, just in case.
- Insert the installation DVD or USB drive into your computer.
- Navigate to ‘Setup.exe’ within the installation media and double click.
- Allow the repair process to load and proceed.
- Select download and install updates when prompted and then Next.
- The process will continue, showing a few windows as it works.
- Confirm license terms when prompted and allow the process to continue.
- On the Ready to install screen, select the ‘Change what to keep’ text link.
- Select keep personal files and apps if you want to or nothing if you don’t. Click Next.
- Allow the process to complete, there may be multiple reboots, this is normal.
- Once the repair installation is complete, you will be presented with the ‘welcome back’ screen. Click Next.
- Set up Express or Custom settings as you require.
- You will soon see the normal Windows 10 sign in screen then ‘We’re setting things up for you’. Wait for the process to complete.
- You should then see the Windows 10 desktop and have access to your old data and settings!
There is a lot of waiting around and quite a bit of confirmation but the entire process is quite straightforward. If you’re having computer problems you are unable to fix, contact us at 908-428-9558 or get a free quote here.
Advanced Startup mode in Windows 10 is a gateway to a range of powerful troubleshooting tools. It allows access to core file checker, system restore, system refresh and a range of other utilities. If you’re having issues with Windows 10 and need to do some work under the hood, Advanced Startup is a good place to be. Here is how you access Advanced Startup.
There are four main ways to get into Advanced Startup in Windows 10.
Restart menu method
The Restart menu method is the fastest way to access Advanced Startup.
- Click on the Windows button in the Taskbar.
- Select Power.
- Hold shift and left click Restart.
This will automatically reboot your computer into Advanced Startup mode.
Command line method
If you are familiar with the Windows command line, you can just as quickly reboot into Advanced Startup in Windows 10 from there.
- Open a CMD window as Administrator.
- Type ‘shutdown.exe /r /o’ into the window and hit Enter.
Your system will immediately reboot into Advanced Startup mode.
Settings app method
If you’re familiar with the Settings app, you can force a reboot from there too.
- Navigate to Settings and Update and Security.
- Select Recovery in the left pane.
- Click the Restart now option under Advanced start-up.
Installation media method
If you’re having problems with USB drivers, mouse or keyboard, you may not be able to use any of the above methods. If that’s the case, try this:
- Insert your Windows 10 installation media.
- Set your BIOS or UEFI to boot from that media.
- Restart your system.
- Select language and keyboard options when prompted by Windows.
- Make sure to Select Repair your computer and not Install now.
You will now boot into Advanced Startup mode.
Using Advanced Startup mode to troubleshoot issues is a great way to get your PC working again. If you cannot fix the issue yourself, contact one of our experts today and we can fix it for you!If you’re the only one who uses your computer or you trust those you share it with, why not remove password login in Windows 10? It enables the computer to boot straight to the desktop and shaves precious seconds off the boot time. It also removes that extra manual step so Windows can go from being powered off to the desktop without your intervention.
Alternatively, if other people have access to your computer, you might like to enable password login to keep it safe.
Enable password login in Windows 10
Password login is enabled by default in either a Windows 10 upgrade or a new install. If you have previously disabled it, or it isn’t enabled for some reason, do this:
- Type ‘netplwiz’ into the Search Windows/Cortana box.
- Put a check in the box next to ‘Users must enter a username and password…’ and then click Apply.
- Click OK to save changes.
You will need to either log out and back in again or reboot your system for the change to take effect.
Disable password login in Windows 10
To disable password login, you essentially do the opposite of the above.
- Type ‘netplwiz’ into the Search Windows/Cortana box.
- Uncheck the box next to ‘Users must enter a username and password…’ then click Apply.
- Enter your password twice when prompted by Windows.
- Click OK to save your changes.
You will need to log out and in or reboot your computer for this change to take effect too.
Know a faster way to enable or disable password login in Windows 10? Have any questions? Let us know below!Microsoft Outlook has all sorts of shortcuts in place for the people who know how to use them. Dave's Computers tech support has some tricks up our sleeve to help small business owners get the most out of Microsoft Outlook. The following list of tips should allow all individuals to save themselves time, energy, and even money when they are going about using Microsoft Outlook, whether they are trying to delete email or just use their own services more effectively. Even increasing Internet security is going to be that much easier with a good portion of the tips available here.
Tech Support Tip #1: Learning how to group email messages can save time and frustration.
For many people, deleting email can be one of the most time-consuming tasks to get through during an average work day. Rummaging through all of the different email messages in order to find the ones that actually matter can be even more annoying, since people can't just go through and mindlessly delete messages unless they want to risk deleting the ones that are actually important.
Emails can be emerged into conversations if people access the View tab and click 'Show as conversations.' Then, users need to activate the 'Arrange by' bar. Once they activate the 'View settings' function, they can set the grouping options that they want. Once people get into the habit of doing this, they will quickly be able to distinguish between the important messages and the messages that can just be checked off and deleted without comment.
Arrange & Group Email in Microsoft Outlook
Tech Support Tip #2: Learning how to filter email messages can make all the difference.
On the Home tab, there should be a Filter Email drop down. A search box should be made available to anyone who does this. From there, users will be able to access emails from whatever category currently interests them, whether it is more recent emails, less recent emails, emails with attached files, or others. There is also a More Filters option that people can access in order to narrow down their searches further to save themselves additional time and energy.
Tech Support Tip #3: Getting rid of unnecessary messages is easier to do than people think.
As long as users are using the Microsoft Outlook versions from 2010 or 2013, they should have a Clean Up tool that will be able to help them get rid of emails that are truly redundant. Messages are often reproduced in other messages during email conversations, which creates a situation in which people are wasting endless amount of space on messages that already exist elsewhere. This tool is actually able to detect that sort of duplicated content, so people can avoid wasting space and wasting time on it. There is a drop down for Clean Up on the Home tab, and people can use this function to clean up individual conversations. However, they will also be able to use this function to clean up entire folders if that is what they want. The Settings button can allow users to distinguish between the messages that need to be either deleted or preserved.
Tech Support Tip #4: Delivering future messages can help people stay more organized.
There are lots of reasons why someone would want to send an email at a future date. They might want to send their future selves certain messages. They might also want to withhold certain pieces of information from the recipient for the time being. On the Options tab, there should be an option that will allow users to Delay Delivery. When they get to that area, they can choose a date and time for the field that says 'Do not deliver before.'
Even then, the users should still hit the Send button as if they were sending any other email. However, the message still isn't actually going to be sent to the recipient in question until the aforementioned date and time. Some people like to send messages to themselves in order to remind their future selves of their plans at the time, or to give their future selves advice. This is a whimsical option that is now possible in Microsoft Outlook.
Tech Support Tip #5: Unwanted emails can be Junked or Ignored.
Almost everyone who has ever used email before will run into some sender who keeps on sending annoying or unnecessary emails that can get through other filters. Other unfortunate individuals might actually be dealing with individuals who are harassing them in some way, which is going to make the experience of getting lots of emails from them outright emotionally painful. At both ends of the spectrum, there is a solution. On the Home tab, there should be a Junk drop down. There should then be a Junk Email Options option that people can select. From there, people will be able to differentiate between what qualifies as Junk and what does not qualify as Junk, which can more or less revolutionize their email Inboxes altogether.
People who receive a lot of Spam from one source can make anything from that source Junk. It's the same with people who receive a lot of unwanted email from certain individuals, or even from certain nations. People who deal in International Business might have that problem, although many people have that problem in a global society. Either way, it is now a fixable problem.
Tech Support #6: It is possible to send text messages without a smartphone for the people who know how to use Microsoft Outlook correctly.
As long as people register with third-party messaging services in advance, they are going to manage to send SMS text messages to people on their own smartphones or on anything else. These messages might stand a better chance of actually reaching them, since plenty of people are going to send text messages as a form of communication instead of email in this day and age. It is also true that people tend to check their text message folders more often than their email folders these days. Learning how to send text messages to people from Microsoft Outlook can be very convenient for people who are on their computers at the time and need to get some information to their contacts quickly.
On the Home tab, there should be a New Items drop down. There should also be an option to select Text Message. From there, people can specify that they are trying to find a text messaging service for a mobile operator.
Tech Support #7: It is possible to set up Microsoft Outlook in order to accommodate for changes in time zones.
Lots of people work internationally, or at least do work that is going to manage to cross time zones. There should be an option for File Options Calendar that will allow people to set a local time zone appropriately, thus making it that much easier for them to get calendar entries and email timestamps that have been labeled in the correct manner.
Tech Support #8: Users can make sure that they know who their email messages are really from through the encryption option.
Getting emails cryptographically signed can allow people to confirm that they are the ones who sent their emails, which is going to allow them to avoid getting emails that were sent from people posing as them. Individuals who are trying to increase their levels of Internet security as much as possible are encouraged to learn how to do this. For individuals who are in the process of being harassed by someone, this might be an outright means of survival.
Users need to open up the Trust Center settings to do this. They can then activate Email Security. People who have a digital ID or people who create a digital ID can then enable the digital signing and the encryption.
Tech Support #9: Google Calendar can be matched up with Microsoft Outlook in order to save people time.
Lots of people rely on Google Calendar for all of their scheduling concerns, and switching back and forth between Google Calendar and all of their email checking can be somewhat irritating for the people who are already running late for whatever reason. Individuals who learn to sync up these two functions are going to make it that much more likely that they won't miss anything. Users will need to go to the Calendar Settings menu. They will need their calendar's iCal feed address. They can then access the Internet Calendars tab in Outlook and paste in the address in order to make sure that the information from both of these services is going to interact correctly.
Tech Support #10: A folder for common searches can help people save time.
People who perform the same search over and over again ought to be able to just create a shortcut that will allow them to do this more rapidly. They will be able to do this in Microsoft Outlook. In the Search Folder menu, there should be a Folder tab. From there, people can click on the New Search Folder option, and they will be able to get everything that they need.
For more tech support tips from Dave's Computer, get in touch with us with your computer repair and IT support issues by calling 958-428-9558.
📞 Call Dave's — 908-428-9558