Dungeon Keeper 2 Crashing

Wondering why Dungeon Keeper (DK) 2 keeps crashing? Don't worry, here is a perfect solution for the gamers to get rid of crashes and other common game errors.

Apply following fixes to solve Dungeon Keeper 2 crashing:

· Disable Windows Defender
· Clean Junk Files
· Scan and Fix Registry
· Configure Sound Quality
· Disable Aero Effects

Disable Windows Defender

Windows defender is a pre-installed program in Windows 7 and Vista. DK 2 crashing may occur due to conflicts between this antispyware software and the game. This problem can be fixed by disabling Windows defender. To do so follow the steps below:

1. Click on Start button
2. In search box type Windows Defender
3. Click on Tools and select Options
4. Now click on Real-Time Protection and Uncheck the option Use Real-Time Protection
5. Click on Administration and Uncheck Use this Program
6. Click Save and Press OK

Clean Junk Files

Junk files in your system may be creating hurdles in running the game. You can remove these junk files using a system cleaner program in order to fix Dk 2 crashing. Although you can do some of the cleaning manually but for a deep removal of unwanted and cluttered files from the computer using a system cleaner software is a better option.

Configure Sound Quality

Improper sound configuration may prevent you from playing the game. There might be a reason that your PC does not support high or medium level sound quality. Try to set sound quality lower to solve Dungeon Keeper 2 crashing. Follow the steps below for sound configuration:

1. Run Dungeon Keeper 2 from your desktop
2. From Main Menu go to Options
3. Select Sound Options
4. Reduce the sound quality and set it to low level
5. Save the configuration

Scan and Fix Registry

Errors and corrupt files in Windows registry also result in Dungeon Keeper 2 crashing. Try to repair registry before running the game.

To fix registry you need to download and install a powerful registry cleaner and run a full registry scan to remove all errors. Usually a good system utilities software comes up with the registry fixing feature as well.

Disable Aero Effects

Windows Aero effects can also cause Dungeon Keeper 2 crashing. Disabling it will allow you to run the game smoothly. Follow the steps below:

1. Right-click on desktop and
2. Click on Personalize
3. Select Windows 7 Basic theme instead of selecting theme from Aero Themes category
4. Close the dialog box

Shockwave Flash Crash - How To Safely Resolve Crashes With Shockwave and Flash On Your Web Browser

Shockwave Flash Player is an important part of the Windows system, that's used by millions of websites around the World to promote interactivity and smooth operation. We've found that although Shockwave Flash player is normally a very robust / stable system, it's continually leading a large number of problems to form, which can only be resolved by repairing the various issues that this part of the system may have.

Causes Of Shockwave Player Crashes Include:

The website you're viewing has some sort of error / problem
Your "registry database" as errors
Windows is unable to correctly load up the files and options it needs to run
How To Fix Shockwave Flash Player Crashes
-- Re-Install Shockwave Flash ActiveX Component - The first step is to re-install the Shockwave Flash ActiveX component on your PC, as this is the main piece of software which Windows will use to play back Shockwave applications. To do this, you should follow these steps:

Click "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Add / Remove Programs"
Select the "Shockwave Flash Player" listing
Select "Remove" next to the program
Follow the uninstall process
Restart your PC
Install Shockwave again

-- Make sure your drivers are working correctly - The "drivers" of Windows are used continually to help make sure that your computer can process the software & hardware of its system in the right way. We've found that drivers can be a major cause of Shockwave Flash errors, making it vital that you're able to repair the various issues it may have with these steps:
Click onto "Device Manager"
Look at all the pieces of hardware on your PC
Make note of any ones which may have problems
Look on the Internet & download the latest drivers for each program

-- Clean Up The Registry Of Windows - The registry is a large database inside every Windows system. It's basically where your computer will keep everything from your most recent emails to your desktop icons, and is used to help ensure that your PC can process the files that it requires to operate. Although this part of your computer is continually being used to help ensure that Windows is able to run as smoothly as possible, it's continually leading a large number of problems to form, including issues with Shockwave Flash. In order to fix this, you have to be able to use a program called a "registry cleaner" to scan through this part of your PC and automatically fix any of the errors inside.

Windows Task Manager in English

You use Ctrl+Alt+Del to see what's running on your PC, to close crashed programs and processes, and to check performance. You probably avoid a few processes whose names mean nothing to you, but they're essential to Windows. svchost.exe sure likes to appear all the time and multiple times at that. What's taskmgr.exe? Oh yeah, it's the window you're looking at right now. ctfmon? Is he related to Pokemon? navapsvc.exe? Navy? Napa Valley? Navel? NOTA (none of the above).

This is not a comprehensive list as that would take days. It has the standard processes as well as process names from popular applications. If you want to know about a process, the best place to go is... ProcessLibrary.com. Just like adware and spyware, there are bad processes that come to life thanks to the bad guys like Trojans and viruses. The site has a list of the top five security threats, so watch out for those processes.

Also, beware the bad guys like to use legitimate names of processes. For example, rundll.exe is a system process that should not be terminated. However, recent reports have stated, "It can also be the LOXOSCAM virus depending on Operating System and file path; this is always a virus on Windows XP and 2000 operating systems however."

You can download software that provide more information about the process. Task Manager, as you know, says nothing except the name of the process and how much CPU it's using. One example is Process Explorer, a standalone application that also has the option of replacing the built in Task Manager for windows. It shows you information about which handles and DLLs processes have opened or loaded.

acrotray.exe

Acrobat Assistant that is used when printing documents to a PDF. The process should not be removed while converting documents to PDF.

ADService.exe
Active Disk Service is a component of the Iomega zip drive.

AppServices.exe
Also for the Iomega zip drive.

ccEvtMrg.exe
Associated with Symantec's Internet Security Suite. Keep it and protect your PC.

ccSetMgr.exe
Also associated with Symantec's Internet Security Suite. Keep it and protect your PC.

csrss.exe
System process that is the main executable for the Microsoft Client / Server Runtim Server Subsystem. It should not be shut down.

ctfmon.exe
Non-essential system process. If you're using only English as the language, then it is not needed. However, it's recommended to leave it alone.

explorer.exe
This must always be running in the background. It's a user interface process that runs the windows graphical shell for the desktop, task bar, and Start menu.

iexplore.exe
Internet Explorer browser. But why are you using it unless it's for a site that doesn't work in any other browser? Use Firefox instead.

lsass.exe
Local Security Authority Service is a Windows security-related system process for handling local security and login policies.

Navapsvc.exe, nvsrvc32.exe, and navapw32.exe
These are Symantec's North AnvtiVirus processes. They or whatever virus program you use should run all the time.

realsched.exe
RealNetworks Scheduler is not an essential process. It checks for updates for RealNetworks products. It can be safely disabled.

rundll32.exe
A system process that executes DLLs and loads their libraries.

savscan.exe
Nortons AntiVirus process. Keep it.

services.exe
An essential process that manages the starting and stopping of services including the those in boot up and shut down. Do not terminate it.

smss.exe
Session Manager SubSystem is a system process that is a central part of the Windows operating system. If you try to kill it, it will be difficult... hence, the importance of leaving it be.

spoolsv.exe
Microsoft printer spooler service handles local printer processes. It's a system file.

svchost.exe x 6
You may have more than six appearances of this process or less. It's there multiple times to handle processes executed from DLLs. Leave it there.

System
This is a file that stores information related to local hardware settings in the registry under 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE'. Kill it and kiss your PC's stability bye bye.

System Idele Process
Calculates the amount of CPU currently in use by applications. This won't go away no matter how hard you try. Don't try it, OK?

taskmgr.exe

Appears when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del.

wdfmgr.exe
Windows Driver Foundation Manager is part of Windows media player 10 and newer. Better not to stop the process.

winlogon.exe
Handles the login and logout processes. It's essential.

winword.exe
The great Carnac says, "You're running Microsoft Word."

Don't panic if you see something you have on the "bad guy" list. svchost.exe is important, but some are good guys and some are bad guys. Do your research before deleting anything. For instance, I have admin.exe, which has been reported as a bad guy. However, it is the admin process for one of my programs. When I closed the program, admin.exe also went away.

Protect Your PC from Viruses, Worms & Trojans

Each of the items in the checklist below is part of a broad and easy to implement security policy.

Install all windows critical updates for your operating system from the Microsoft Update site - it's free! All that's required to keep your Microsoft operating system up to date is an Internet connection.

Install and configure a firewall - either a hardware or software based firewall is a must! If you are using a router, it probably has firewall capabilities included. Software firewalls are available at minimal cost; one of the best is free!

Install and configure antivirus software - the cost is minimal, there are even free versions available - the protection is priceless! Update the definition files daily - scan your drive weekly - it can all be automated with most programs.

Create a backup - even the best plan can be circumvented - be prepared for the worst with a complete backup of your hard drive! If you already have a CD burner and software installed in your machine, you probably have the tools to create a complete system backup - for only the cost of a few CD-R's!

Obviously, the costs to properly protect yourself from the worst threats to your security are almost nil. If you need help with any step above, simply use a Google search to find help - it's freely available.

Follow these four simple steps and you will have implemented comprehensive and complete protection for your PC. If you are unable to initiate your own plan, hire an expert to do the job. You won't be sorry!

Are You Putting Off Productivity?

I recently took a good look at what was keeping me from accomplishing what I needed to do. After all, I had my goals. I had them written down. I read my affirmations daily. And still, I was not achieving what I wanted to do.

Leaving town was a major undertaking. And that's not good when you're a professional speaker! I need to be able to leave at a moment's notice and arrive ready to give my full attention to my audience. So it was time for a look at what was holding me back. Here's what I found.

1. I used my desktop computer in the office. However, my accounting program and contact databases were on that machine, so my assistant also needed to use it. We sometimes found ourselves waiting for the other person to get off the machine before we could do what we needed to do.
2. I used a 3-lb laptop on the road. Though I rarely used them, I had to pack the CD player and floppy drive, plus the docking bar with the parallel port on it - just in case I needed any of those items.
3. I often found myself without a file I needed or a contact's information. It took me up to an hour or two before I left town each time to decide on and transfer what I needed to my laptop, then another 30 minutes or more when I returned to update my desktop with all I had worked on while I was gone.
4. I had an early 2MB Palm V that could not hold any e-books and did not sync with my Outlook calendar and contacts. So again, I spent a lot of time copying and pasting information between my desktop or my laptop and my Palm.

In general, things were not working well and the problems were pretty obvious.

Here's how I resolved most of my issues.

1. I bought a new laptop. This is 3 years newer than the other, but it's four times faster and has a larger screen. And while I traded a 3-pounder for a 7-pounder, my new laptop has a built-in floppy and a built-in CD burner. That means all the pieces are with me all the time. And with the CD burner, I can back up data quickly or move it to another computer easily - very nice when you need to use someone else's computer!

2. I moved my desktop to another office for my assistant. That means she and I can be working at the same time on the rare occasions I'm in the office - what a concept!

3. I only put the programs I need for my tasks on my laptop. So if I don't think I should be doing it, I didn't load the software. I did not put my accounting program or my databases on my laptop; instead, I'm delegating those tasks to my assistant (another new concept!) If I need to look at anything on those programs, I'll walk into her office and check.

4. I purchased a new color Palm. It's color with lots of memory. Best of all, it syncs with Outlook contacts, tasks, calendar and notes. Plus it uses Word and Excel, as well as Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is truly revolutionary! To ensure I have the information I need with me, I put the Palm into its cradle and it automatically syncs everything. No more deciding what to take, then copying and pasting it! I find I'm editing
Word documents on the plane, plus I'm getting a lot of the e-books read in airports and sitting alone in restaurants.

When I want to create an article from scratch (as I'm doing with this one), I use the keyboard.
In short, my travel life has changed dramatically in the past 2 weeks! And as I walk back into my office this afternoon, I'll pull my laptop out and put it on my desk, then sync it with my Palm. I will have everything with me that I've had on the road for the past 10 days. My assistant's work life won't be interrupted and we'll never lose a beat in getting the job done!

Just the sense of calm and control are worth it. No more frantic transferring of files as I leave. No more waiting to use my computer while she prints invoices for the month. No more... well, you get the idea! I'm thrilled with the make-over!

Do you need to review your productivity? Take this short quiz and see: 

1. Do you always have the information you need with you - either on your cell phone, your laptop, and your PDA (personal digital assistant, such as a Palm Pilot or IPAQ)?
2. Are you trying to share a computer with anyone else?
3. Can you get on the Internet as often and as long as you need to?
4. If you need a client file while you're traveling do you have it? Can you get it within 15 minutes - even after hours?
5. If you need to move a file or print a file, so you have a way to do that while you're traveling?
6. Are there tasks that are not getting done? Why? Could it be cured by shifting or adding technology?

Remember: Technology is a tool that works FOR us. If you're working harder and longer because of the technology, it's not working the way it should. Don't put off productivity!
For more on productivity, get Jeanette's special repor "Ten Most Overlooked Productivity Tools" at TechTamers.com