There are a lot of reasons you might need to access the BIOS on your computer but sometimes it can be a pain to get in. To access BIOS, you normally have to hit a key (usually DEL or F2) right after your computer turns on.

Sounds easy, right? On some computers it is - on others... not so much. My How to Access the BIOS Setup Utility guide should get anyone in, no matter how difficult your PC is making it.

UPDATE: Windows XP SP3 is now available via Windows Update. Enjoy!

It's been rumored for some time that Windows XP Service Pack 3 would be available soon... and it almost was a few days ago. Microsoft found an issue with SP3 which is causing a delay in its availability. I would guess that it'll be released sometime in the next few weeks.

If you'd like to read up on it, check out Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview document. The information is a little technical but it's still readable. It outlines some of the new features SP3 provides Windows XP users (don't get excited - it's nothing fancy) and provides a link to information on what sorts of problems SP3 fixes.

Here's some more service pack information for your reading pleasure:

What is a Service Pack?
How To Find What Service Pack Level Your Windows XP PC Is Running

A basic hardware troubleshooting step when your computer is locking up or spontaneously restarting, especially during the boot-up process, is to reseat the expansion cards in your computer.

Reseating, which is just another way of saying "remove-and-reinsert," assures that the card is making a good, clean connection with the contacts on the motherboard. Expansion cards can wiggle loose and build up dirt over time so the simple act of removing and reinserting them in their slots on the motherboard will often clear up what might have appeared to be a major issue.

Reseating the expansion cards in your PC is pretty easy, even if you've never been inside your computer before. It's certainly worth a shot before buying new hardware or hauling your computer in for service.

Windows XP not starting all the way? Is your computer locking up during the boot process? Receiving error messages before you even see your Start Button?

Just about anything could be wrong but your first step should probably be to start Windows in "Safe Mode." Safe Mode, in comparison to the "Normal Mode" that you usually start Windows XP in, is a special way to start Windows where only the minimum programs and processes necessary are started. Think of it as a bare-bones version of the operating system.

Starting Windows XP in Safe Mode is very easy. Feel free to give it a try anytime - you don't have to wait until something goes wrong to get familiar with it.

I often get asked, usually in the forum, if there's a way to reinstall Windows XP without having to erase everything and start over. Lucky for all of us there is, and it's pretty easy as long as you can dig up your Windows CD.

It's called a Windows Repair Install. A repair install is a way of installing Windows XP right over top of your existing Windows XP installation, repairing any damaged operating system files in the process. The best part is that all of your other programs and any other saved data on your computer is left alone during the process.

Repair installs don't always fix every problem - sometimes starting over from scratch by wiping your computer clean first and then installing Windows (a process called a clean install) is necessary. For many problems though, reinstalling Windows XP with a repair install is a safe, effective way to solve serious problems with the operating system.

Does your mouse no longer move smoothly across your mouse pad? Do you have problems making small movements with your mouse when drawing on screen? Ever try to check a checkbox or click a button but the cursor "jumps" right over it?

Guess what? You have a dirty mouse.

Your mouse pad or desk surface collects dust and grime pretty easily. When your mouse rolls around on this debris, it tends to pick some of it up and deposit it inside your mouse. As this builds up, the mechanisms in your mouse that tell it how to move quit working as well, causing the kinds of problems I talked about.

Cleaning your mouse is a super easy way to improve your experience at your computer. Go ahead, just do it right now. You'll be amazed at how much easier your mouse is to use when it's rolling right again.

I was answering a question over in the forums today and I recommended to someone having weird error that they test their memory. The error message didn't say anything all about a memory problem but I assure you that doesn't matter. When was the last time you saw an error message that actually meant what it said? Exactly.

The memory in your computer is the working space for everything that it does. If your memory is having a problem, just about anything can happen - lock-ups, random error messages, lost files, startup problems... I could go on and on.

Lucky for us, there are some very powerful and completely free memory testing tools that anyone can use. Believe it or not, it's basically the same diagnostic software that nearly every computer-fix-it store uses.

Even if you have no use for it right now, it would be very wise to keep one of these memory tests in your arsenal of tools.

After Internet Explorer 7 came out, a number of Windows users ran into the "Res://ieframe.dll/dnserror.htm#" error or the "File Not Found C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\IEFRAME.DLL" error. Even though IE7 has been out for quite some time, this is still a common error that I see talked about around the Internet.

Unfortunately, I write a lot about DLL errors. They're very common and often painful to troubleshoot. Ieframe.dll errors are especially troubling because they can show up for a huge number of reasons. There are, however, plenty of things you can to do fix them. Give it a shot yourself before you pay a bunch to that "squad" of computer experts downtown.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is finally available. You can download it from Microsoft's website right now.

It's a big download - over 400MB. If you'd prefer to use Windows Update to install Windows Vista SP1, you can get away with a much faster download. Either way gives you the same result - it's up to. Some people prefer to download the entire file so they can install it later.

Be sure to read all the documentation that comes along with this update. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 could cause problems with some of your software, but of course it could fix some issues you're having too.

Some files are hidden from view by default in Windows XP. These are files that you won't need to get to often. In fact, they're files that you should never need to find, open, or do anything with. That is, of course, unless you're having a problem that's being caused by one of these hidden files.

Regardless of the reason why, if you're interested in viewing all of the files on your computer, including the hidden ones, you'll be happy to know that configuring Windows XP to show hidden files is pretty simple.