Official TechtalkRadio Blog

Kelly called our radio show and said he was unable to uninstall some software from Windows Vista.

Try to do it from Safe mode…

If that doesn’t work, you could consider using System Restore:
Turn back time on your PC
What is System Restore?
System Restore: frequently asked questions

Dave had a lightning strike that damaged his equipment. To prevent future trouble, we discussed some considerations…

To begin at the beginning, you can consider having the grid current checked to see if the baselines are correct.

Chris called in to suggest grounding the outside service panel properly with a grounding rod. (Consult your electric service provider for information about that…)

Damage can be done by static electricity…consider creating a place where you can discharge it from your body before you touch the computer.

To regulate overvoltage and undervoltage, use an uninterruptible power supply that offers line conditioning.

There are two basic types of UPSs:
(When there is a power outage) After a millisecond lag, the Standby UPS switches to a battery.
The Online UPS has no lag.

Some of these devices have lifetime warranties, and equipment replacement guarantees. In addition, you may want to consider having an insurance policy that covers equipment.

Bill called our radio show about being able to use Windows 7 on his computer…

On the Engineering Windows 7 blog it was stated that Microsoft will have more information about the operating system at the Professional Developers Conference on October 27. After that date, we can consider if we’re going to purchase any new hardware for Christmas or not.

Speculation is that Windows 7 will be available as early as the end of 2009.

Tom called the radio show and said he cannot defragment his hard drive. Based on my experiences, this may be a symptom of other issues…

My first suggestion is to check the hard disk for errors:
Check for Disk Errors in Windows XP
How to perform disk error checking in Windows XP
Check your hard disk for errors Windows Vista

Then attempt to defragment the hard drive:
How To Analyze and Defragment a Disk in Windows XP
How to Defragment Your Disk Drive Volumes in Windows XP
Features of the Windows Vista hard disk defragmentation utility

You can consider defragmenting while in Safe mode:
A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP
Start your computer in safe mode

Dave called our radio show to get more information about having internet service while he is traveling in his recreational vehicle…

There are many wireless telephone service providers (Sprint, Verizon, etcetera) that have it available. And, there are satellite dish internet service providers (WildBlue, HughesNet, etcetera).

You need to ask about: service areas, service speed, and price.