Your mouse keeps jumping and its getting incredibly annoying and frustrating. In order to fix this problem, we must first identify the source. The following are common causes for why your mouse keeps jumping:

Optic mouse is reflecting off a glossy surface

If you are using your optic mouse on a glossy surface, such as glass, metal, or even a varnished table, the cursor will have a tendency to jump sporadically. Place your mouse upon a mouse pad or a non-reflective surface instead. If you’re already using a mouse pad, try changing it.

Mouse ball is dirty

If you are using a ball mouse, try cleaning either the ball or the wheels that come into contact with the ball. Oftentimes, debris such as hair and dust get stuck in the wheels and prevent the ball from rotating around. Cleaning the small wheels inside the mouse, in addition to the mouse ball itself, should solve a dirty mouse problem.

Wireless mouse is low on batteries

If you are using a wireless mouse, you might be running low on batteries. Erratic behavior often occurs when batteries are dying, so an easy solution is to change the batteries.

Driver conflict

Newly installed hardware and their associated drivers may conflict with the driver for your mouse. If there is a driver update for your new hardware, try installing it.

Virus infection

Viruses that affect mice are becoming more common nowadays; your best line of defense is virus protection software. There is plenty of free virus protection software out there, such as Avast! and AVG.

Running low on RAM

When the system is low on RAM, many system functions may behave strangely, including the mouse. You can install additional RAM, or perform a defragmentation on your hard drive.

Mouse is broken

The mouse may simply be broken, as wires in the cord can fray and small pieces inside the mouse can fall apart–especially if it’s an old mouse. At this point, it’s probably easiest to replace the mouse with a new one.

TalkLocal is a free service that can connect you to a computer repair technician immediately!

An email is made up of two parts.  One half is Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) and the other half is Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).  Both of these aspects are important for sending and receiving emails.  Installing/configuring your POP3 or SMTP account is very important but many people don’t know how to do this. Follow the steps below that explain how to setup pop email on iPad.

What is it?

POP3 is the protocol language used to download your email from internet service provider (ISP) and SMTP is the protocol used to send mail. POP serves a communications purpose in connecting your email, a POP client, and your ISP server.  The 3 in POP3 simply stands for third version.

How to Configure

There are three things you need to configure your POP account.  You will need the name of your ISP’s mail server such as something.mail.com, the name of the account you are using (probably same as your email name), and  the password for your account.

Installing a POP3 account on your iPad is similar to setting up a normal account. Follow these steps to install a POP3 account on your iPad:

1. Click Settings >> Mail >> Account >> Add account.
2. When it asks the type of account, you should click Other.
3. Enter all the information it requests.
4. Click Save.
5. Two options, IMAP and POP, will show up at the top.  Click POP.
6. Fill it out the following form completely.
7. Wait to see if it verifies. If so, you are done.

Problems

If the iPad cannot verify the server, it will show an error.

1. Click Details >> Accept.
2. Click Home >> Settings >> Mail, Contacts, Calendars
3. Click the email you set up earlier.
4. Double check to make sure POP and SMTP settings are correct.

If you continue to get errors or have problems when installing POP3, you should consult with a professional.  While the apple store Genius bar can help, it may be expensive.  If you’re looking for an alternative, use TalkLocal to get the help you need from local professionals. TalkLocal will connect you with a reliable IT service professional within minutes.

You’re trying to watch a movie on Netflix when you realize that your computer audio is not working.  The speakers are on max but no computer audio is coming out and the only way you can watch the movie is with Closed Captioning. This is a common problem amongst computer owners. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a frustrating computer problem that needs attention.

One way to fix this problem is to restart your computer. Sometimes a little rebooting is all that is needed. If you have a PC, you can try updating the sound drivers.

How to Update Sound Drivers:

1.  Click the Start button >> Control Panel.
2.  Click System and Security.
3.  Click System >> Device Manager. This will take you to the sound devices.
4.  Double-click the sound device for which you want to update the driver.
5.  Click the Driver tab >> Update Driver.
6.  Click OK and do this for each sound device.

If this doesn’t work, you might need a technology consultation with an IT specialist. One way to seek immediate service help for your computer problem is through TalkLocal. This free online service will connect you with computer repair services in your area who can solve your specific problem. Just fill out a short service request on TalkLocal’s website stating your service need, availability, and location. Within minutes, up to three reputable service providers will contact you over the phone to help you with your audio problem.

A common problem for people with HP laptops is that the touchpad/mouse gets stuck and does not work properly.  This article explains what to do when your thinking “why is this HP touchpad is not working on my laptop?”  This is a seriously disabling problem during which the user cannot really use their computer.  Why does this happen and how can you fix it? The following steps will attempt to explain why the HP Touchpad is not working on your laptop.

Why

Your HP computer touchpad could stop working for a couple of reasons.  It could be something as serious as the driver being corrupted or something as simple as a glitch in the system. Whatever the reason, the issue is serious and should be corrected as quickly as possible.

What you should do

The first thing you should do when your mouse pad freezes up is step back and give the computer time to catch up and cool down.  It could be a simple overheating problem.  If this does not work you should then try to reboot your computer.  The laptop may have had a minor glitch and a simple restore could set it right.  A more severe step to take would be to restore the entire system. A hard reset may be in order if nothing fixes the freeze.  To hard reset you should disconnect the AC adapter, remove the battery, hold the power button foe 2 minutes, reconnect both the AC and battery and turn the computer on.  If the problem continues to persist it may be an internal issue in which case you should contact a professional.  The touchpad is connected to the motherboard by a thin ribben cable with a clamping connector and it could have come loose.  This is an easy fix if taken to a professional.

Who can help me?

If your touchpad is still malfunctioning you should try and get in contact with an IT service professional. By using TalkLocal services you can make this process much easier.  Simply type in your problem and availability and TalkLocal will do the rest.  They will call reliable local computer businesses and put them in contact with you almost immediately.

A Windows XP corrupted registry prevents you from starting your computer. More recognizably, the Blue Screen of Death appears. One of the following messages also pops up when your Windows XP has a corrupted registry:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

System error: Lsass.exe

Don’t panic! Keep reading to figure out how to solve this issue.

Causes of Windows XP Corrupted Registry Error

Registry hives store all software installations and software settings. So as you use your computer and install more programs, you will have a bloated registry–which is likelier to corrupt and harder to navigate.

Windows XP Corrupted Registry Repair

You can quickly fix the registry error yourself. Windows has an Automatic System Recovery (ASR) that is included in the Windows XP operating system. Windows recommends trying this before manually restoring your system. The ASR detects computer failure and recovers your computer. Routinely backup your data using the ASR in case your registry is ever corrupted. ASR will restore the disk configurations from the saved backup file.

If this does not work, see Windows for a step by step guide to recover the corrupted registry via the Recovery Console. Print out the instructions since you will not have access to them during this process.

You may also turn to a registry cleaner that automatically cleans the excessive data in your registry. You do not need any computer knowledge to use this! Search for a Windows XP registry cleaner online.

If you prefer to have a professional take care of your registry woes, contact TalkLocal to help connect your with the best professionals in your area.