How to Troubleshoot Your PC: A Hypochondriac's Guide

View this newsletter online | Newsletter Services | More Newsletters » Follow @pcworld on Twitter May 25, 2012 PCWorld.com The Best of PCWorld

Is your computer making strange clicking or beeping noises? Is your monitor displaying weird colors or just going black at random intervals? Do you smell something funny--you know, like plastic burning? Then hightail it to our top story this week. PCWorld's David Murphy takes you on tour through many of the mysterious problems that could beset your PC or laptop, and tells you how to troubleshoot and deal with them before the whole system dies a horrible death. --Newsletter Editor Kim Saccio-Kent Top Stories How to Troubleshoot Your PC: A Hypochondriac's Guide Does your PC act as though it's about to die? Don't panic! We explain why the most common problems happen and what to do about them. 37 Tech Shortcuts From the Experts Fly through your daily tasks with these 37 proven productivity boosters. The Best Phones From Every Carrier Whether you're on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon, terrific handsets abound, with even more due later this year. Here are the best bets to replace your old clunker. For phone reviews and tips, visit PCWorld.com. Top Tweets From @PCWPluggedIn New ways to track you via your mobile devices: Big Brother or good business?: Since when is that an either/or choice? MIT's LiquiGlide glass bottle coating lets ketchup flow like water: Possibilities for diner pranks abound. Via announces $49 PC with Android OS: But cardboard for case is extra, and you have to catch your own hamster. Follow us every day on Twitter: @PCWPluggedIn News 'Liberating' Your Data from Google, and What That Really Means Google Takeout, which lets you download a copy of your Google presence, turns one year old next month. Does Takeout truly let you liberate your data from the search behemoth, and what does that mean, anyway? Microsoft dumps 'Aero' look in Windows 8 Microsoft is abandoning the 'Aero' user interface with Windows 8, calling the UI that debuted in Vista and continued in Windows 7, 'cheesy' and 'dated.' The Top 10 Games of 2012 (So Far) From Diablo III to Fez to Mass Effect 3, these are the best video games from the first half of the year. For the latest reports, visit our News page . PCW Business Center The 5 Best Online Marketplaces for Selling Handmade Goods Ebay is huge and Etsy is targeted, but we've found several awesome alternatives for marketing handmade products. Visit the PCW Business Center. Blogs Google Chrome Overtakes Internet Explorer While Chrome leads the browser market worldwide, in the U.S. it still has a lot of catching up to do, with Microsoft's IE still dominant at home and Chrome nearly tied with Firefox. Samsung Galaxy S III Available June 1 from Amazon for $800 Users who purchase the unlocked version of the phone will have to make some compromises. Cable Giants Partner to Offer 50K Free Wi-Fi Hotspots for Subscribers Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Time Warner Cable announced an agreement to make more than 50,000 hotspots available for customers. For the latest news and opinion, visit our Blogs page . Reviews Dream Screens: Eye-Catching 24-Inch Monitors Which display will make your images, videos, and documents look their best? We tested nine LCDs, from the biggest monitor makers, to identify the best of breed. Hands-on: Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A A full-HD IPS display is the breakout feature of Asus' new high-end Ultrabook. Compare prices on laptops. For more reviews, visit PCWorld.com. How-To How to Build an Energy-Efficient and Quiet Gaming PC Building a system that maximizes game performance is easy; doing it while keeping power consumption down is harder. Here's how you can build your own, and make it whisper-quiet to boot. How to Speed Up Your NAS With iSCSI Want to access your network-attached storage drive a little faster? We explain how to configure and use an iSCSI target on a NAS server with Windows' built-in iSCSI initiator for fast access. For more tips, visit PCWorld.com. Downloads MP3 Toolkit Handle MP3-related chores, including ripping and converting file types, with free MP3 Toolkit. For more free and trial software, visit PCWorld.com. PC World Community How to Create a Hidden Recovery Partition? Join the discussion. Visit the PC World Community Speed Matters Learn how to boost your PC's security without losing speed. Learn more here. Advertisement Lenovo ThinkPads & IdeaPads Click thru to shop the bestselling ThinkPads & IdeaPads! Most Viral Stories Google Chrome Overtakes Internet Explorer Awesome Google Doodle Celebrates Birthday of Robert Moog with Playable Synthesizer Facebook vs. Google: Who Will Win? Product Reviews HP ZR2440w 24-Inch LED LCD Monitor 4 Pros Integrated USB hub; Great on-screen performance; Ergonomically flexible design Cons Relatively expensive Read Complete Review » Top 23- and 24-Inch Monitors » Brother MFC-9970CDW 82 Pros Cheap toner; Color touchscreen LCD; Wireless networking Cons Dark scan quality Read Complete Review » Top 10 Color Laser Multifunction Printers » Top 10 Color Laser Multifunction Printers » Dell Precision M6600 90 Pros Superb display with two types of touch interfaces; Excellent keyboard and pointing devices Cons Price can ramp up quickly ; It's Hulk Hogan huge Read Complete Review » Top Desktop Replacement Laptops » 100 Best Products of 2011 » Get Big Savings When you Shop at PCWorld.com Shop online at PCWorld.com, where you can compare product information, read trusted reviews, and find the best prices on consumer electronics. XPS 8300 Midsize-Tower Desktop - Customizable Price: $699.99 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review XPS 8300 Midsize-Tower Desktop Price: $963.26 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review Browse more Best Prices on Desktops, Monitors, Printers, Laptops Top News on PCWorld.com Top 15 iPhone Apps of 2012, So Far The best of 2012s apps for your iPhone and iPod Touch, so far, include fun apps for wasting time, image and video editing apps, and utilities that speed up common iPhone tasks. Share: Google Shows Off Project Glass Photography Google is pitching its Project Glass eyewear as the next step for mobile photography, and has shown off a bunch of new photos to prove it. Share: Top Reviews on PCWorld.com TechHive: Hands on with the New Facebook Camera App In my brief hands-on tests, Facebook Camera came across as an app designed to harvest your phone number and current location rather than a compelling alternative to any other camera app. Share: TechHive: Hands on With Bing's Social Search Feature While Google famously promotes items from its Google+ service in search results, Bing includes results from multiple social networking sites. Share: Hands-on: Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A A full-HD IPS display is the breakout feature of Asus new high-end Ultrabook. Share: The Best Encrypted Flash Drives Secure flash drives are convenient and more reliable than ever, but their performance doesn't keep up with the times. Still, they'll keep your data safely in your pocket. Share: Downloads: Editor's Collection Browser-Based Games You Can Win Without Losing Your JobA bit of distraction is a good way to become unstuck or gain new perspective on a work problem. Here are a few great games you can play for free, from the comfort of your browser, without installing anything (except Flash, which you probably already have). They're safe in terms of content, and you can step away if needed. After a few minutes, you'll be refreshed and ready to work again. Browse DownloadsAntivirus & Security • Design & Multimedia • Utilities • Games • Chat, Email, & the Web • Sponsored Downloads DriverHive - Keeping Your Drivers Up to Date80% of PC Crashes Are Caused by Conflicting Device Drivers. Out of date and incorrect system drivers can lead to driver conflicts, system errors, system crashes, poor operation, and slow PC performance. DriverHive will scan your computer, identify any out-of-date drivers, set a system restore point, then download and install the most current drivers on your PC - turning a tedious and time consuming task into a simple three-step chore. 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