My computer won't shut down!

This article has been superceded by "Computer Won't Shut Down? Try This."  Before you post a question telling me you don't have nVidia Driver Helper service, please read the above article and download the free PDF that describes in detail how to get your computer to shutdown almost every time.Thanks! The Geek

Brook says: "My computer won't shut down; I have to use the power button. I'm running Windows XP. Please help!"

The Geek replies: Brook, there are many possible causes for your problem, but the most common one I see on computers like yours is a thing called the “nVidia Driver Helper” service. Neither I, nor my fellow Geeks, know exactly what it is supposed to do, but it sure can cause shutdown problems. And turning it off doesn't appear to hurt anything. Here's how to disable it:

Go to Start > Run and type services.msc. Locate the nVidia Driver Helper item and right click it. Select Properties. Set the startup value of the service to “Manual” or “Disabled”.

Your computer should shut down normally now.

Encryption Couldn't Be Simpler Than Encrypt on Click

Need encryption? Need it to be really simple? Then you can't beat Encrypt on Click (freeware) by 2BrightSparks. This program is so simple you won't even need to read the ReadMe file. But don't let the simplicity deceive you: the encryption algorithm uses 256-bit AES. (In case you didn't know, AES is certified for use on TOP SECRET government information as long as 192, and 256 bit key lengths are employed.)

After you install the program, this is what you see when you open it:

You can't get any simpler than that. Make your selection, and you're prompted to enter a password. Enter the password, click OK and you're done. Your file or folder will be encrypted and the filenames appended with the .eoc extension. Here's the list of benefits shown on the web site:

• A very secure encryption method is also used (256-bit AES encryption).
• Files are both compressed & encrypted, which results in a smaller file.
• Password protected.
• Will encrypt single files or all files in a folder.
• Very simple to use interface.
• Can be used on a USB key.
• Fully Unicode enabled so filenames in any language can be encrypted.
• Fits on a floppy disk.
• Files can be opened and decrypted using WinZip 9 provided the correct password is used.

Cheers!

The Geek