OSPRE CENTREX Exams:DTL:Customer Services - Frequently Asked Questions

(a) Individual Sales

You can purchase either by telephone on 0870 800 2 999, by post, by sending a cheque payable to Detail Technologies Ltd to:

Detail Technologies Ltd

PO BOX 43

Porth

CF39 8WR

Or on-line through our webshop.

All payments made via our webshop are protected via our online secure payment gateway. This system is encrypted and is completely secure. We accept payment via almost all Credit and Debit cards, with the only known exceptions being American Express and Amex.

No credit card surcharges are claimed.

(b) Police Force Sales

Faxed orders can also be placed by police forces provided a Purchase Order Number is included on the fax. Our fax number is 01443 674472. Our invoice terms are strictly 30 days. Payment can either be accepted by cheque or bank transfer from police forces. Cheque details are given above, if you would prefer to pay via BACS please contact us on 0870 800 2999 to receive our bank details.

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How Do I Order On-Line?

Simply click add next to the product you would like to purchase and you will be taken to your shopping cart. From the shopping cart click onto 'go to checkout' and follow the on screen instructions.

You will need to register with an email address to set-up a new account , if you are a new customer.

‘If you are not taken automatically to the shopping cart (as described above) simply click onto the cart located at the top right hand of the screen and then click on 'go to checkout'.

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What Makes Your PASS Product Different To The Other Products On The Market?

Pass is a revolutionary product. It provides a dynamic and regenerative question database. This means that there are no static base of questions on the system. There are literally millions of questions contained within PASS. You will have a new set of questions every time you do an examination on the PASS program. Because of this it eliminates the risk of the user learning the answers to particular questions, obscuring their results, instead of them actually learning the subject matter.

View our Try Regenerating Questions And See What Makes PASS Unique page by clicking here

What Is The Difference Between Bronze, Silver and Gold PASS?

Silver and Gold have some features that Bronze does not.

PASS Silver contains all of the features on PASS Bronze and also Gives you the option of doing more specific Questions, for example, you can do questions on a certain chapter of the Police Manuals, such as State of Mind.

& PASS Gold contains all of the features on PASS Bronze and PASS Silver and contains these extra features:

(a) Keeps a full record of your performance for in depth Analysis of your continual progression allowing you to easily identify where your weaknesses lie.

(b) Construct Questions based on your Weakest, Oldest and New areas of study.

(c) Allows you to study at Advanced level of Questions.

(d) Use the Dynamic Timetable facility, that allows you to create a personalised study program

based around: your shift pattern, social commitments, how long you want to study on

particular days and most importantly based on how long you have left to study before your examination.

(e) Print the questions and answers for use while away from your computer.

To view our comparison tables showing the differences between the versions of PASS click here

What Is The Difference Between PASS & PASSONLINE?

View our what is the difference between PASS & PASSONLINE page by clicking here

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Can I Purchase If I Am Outside The UK?

Yes, we will be able to take your order, but you will have to pay the cost of shipping your product to you via airmail, this is approximately £30-£50.

Can I Upgrade My Previous Software Version?

Yes, all our software products are upgradeable. When you find the product you wish to upgrade instead on clicking 'add' to basket click on 'upgrade'. You will then receive a 30% discount on the normal price. When the order has been received we will validate that you have purchased a previous software product from us before we process the order.

What If I Do Not Receive My Confirmation Of Order Email?

Whenever an order is placed via our website a confirmation email is sent to the purchaser. If you have ordered via our website and have not received a confirmation email within 5 minutes of placing your order you need to contact us to ensure that your order has gone through correctly.

You can either contact us via telephone on 0870 800 2 999, via email on support@detail-technologies.co.uk or by faxing us on 01443 674472. When you do this the order will be looked at straight away and you shall receive communication from us within a few hours to state whether or not the order has been processed.

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When Will I Receive My Order?

All products will be delivered within 3 working days from when the order was placed (provided you placed the order by 15:00 on that day). Usually products are dispatched on the evening of the day that they were ordered and delivery is next working day.

With the exception of the Blackstone Police Manuals that will be delivered within 5 working days.

What If I Do Not Receive My Order By The Delivery Date?

When we are dispatching orders we are at the mercy of the postal service and Sometimes packages do go missing in the post via, our delivery method of, First Class Royal Mail. This is rare, but not unheard of. This is why it is important that if you have not received your order within the timescale outlined above that you contact us to advise us of this.

You can either contact us via telephone on 0870 800 2 999, via email on delivery@detail-technologies.co.uk or by faxing us on 01443 674472. Your order will be looked at straight away and you shall receive communication from us within a few hours. If there is a problem with your order we will endeavour to sort out any problem straight away to ensure that you receive your order as soon as is physically possible.

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How Can I Contact You?

We can be contacted via telephone on 0870 800 2 999, for general enquiries, to answer any questions you may have, if you would like to order any of our products, or if you have ordered and you are within the seven day free Technical Support period.

If you have ordered and you are outside your free 7 day technical support period you can either contact us on our (60p per minute) premium rate telephone number of 0905 511 0052 or you can purchase a PASS Guarantee either online or on 0870 800 2 999 to receive unlimited free technical support for the lifespan of your PASS Guarantee.

You can also contact us via email at support@detail-technologies.co.uk, by fax on 01443 674472 or via post at:

Detail Technologies Ltd

PO BOX 43

Porth

CF39 8WR

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What is OSPRE®

OSPRE® stands for Objective Structured Performance Related Examination.

The OSPRE® examinations for PC-SGT and SGT-INSPECTOR have 2 parts.

We provide products to help in the preparation and ultimate success in Part 1 of the examination.

The OSPRE® Part 1 Examination for PC-SGT and SGT-INSPECTOR is a 3 hour, 150 multiple choice question, examination. The Sgt's examination takes place in March and the Inspectors in September.

The pass marks for each exam are, 55% for the Sgt's exam and 65% for the Inspectors exam.

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Can PASS Be Installed On More Than One Machine?

Because of security issues the PASS program can only be registered on one computer at any one time. However, due to this, PASS allows you to transfer the program from one computer to another, and back and forth if you wish. Therefore allowing usage between a number of machines.

To Transfer you need to:

Install the PASS program onto the computer you want to transfer it to.

From the PASS program (on the computer that you want to transfer the program onto) write down the software keys (for each of the four modules) from the licence status screen of that computer.

Go onto the original machine and press transfer for each module in turn (on the licence status screen of that computer) and type in the software key numbers that you have written down from the other computer.

The original machine will then give you an unlock code for each module that you type into the computer you wanted to transfer the program onto.

This process is then reversed when you want to transfer the program back.

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Will I Receive FREE Updates?

If you have not purchased a PASS Guarantee with your order then you will receive free updates (if any are made - due to legislation change becoming effective within the year or any problems being rectified) until the date of the examination that you bought the product for.

Any further upgrades will be charged via a 30% discount on the normal product price.

If you have purchased a PASS Guarantee with your product you will receive free updates for the lifetime of your PASS Guarantee until your pass the examination that you purchased the product for.

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Frequently Asked Questions On Installing PASS

How Much Memory Do I Need to Run PASS?

To run PASS we recommend a minimum of 128 MB of RAM.

Also in some rare cases PASS will not run on machines with 128 MB of RAM. This is normally because the PC has a built in graphics card on the motherboard which 'eats-up' some of the memory to display graphics on screen; thereby reducing the 128 MB of RAM down to less than 100 MB.

(a) How Can I Check The Amount Of Memory On My Computer?

Click on Start menu, Programs, Accessories, System tools, System information. In the Information box the amount of RAM will be listed - normally under total physical memory.

(b) How Much Hard Disk Space Will PASS Take Up?

The PASS program will use up around 80-100 MB of hard-drive space

(c) How Can I Check the Amount Of Free Space On My Hard-Drive?

Double click on my computer and then right click on your hard-drive icon (usually denoted by the letter C). Click on properties and in the properties box will be the amount of free space left, as well as used space. Measured in Gigabytes for newer computers, or megabytes for older machines.

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When I Place PASS Into My CD-ROM Drive It Will Not Start - Nothing Happens At All?

To check that the auto run feature on your CD-ROM drive has not been accidentally disabled - right-click on My Computer and select "Properties". The Properties dialog box will appear. Left-click on "Device Manager". Double-click on the CD-ROM option and the name of your CD-ROM will appear underneath. Double-click on the name and a "Properties dialog" box will appear. Locate the tab marked "Setting", and make sure that there is a tick in the "AUTO INSERT NOTIFICATION" box.

This dialog box will also tell you what letter denotes your CD-ROM drive, usually either D: or V:

Alternatively if "auto-run" is not enabled and you do not wish to follow the above method, double click on the "My Computer" icon and the drive letter representing your CD-ROM (usually D: or V:) will display the Detail Technologies icon .Simply double-click on this icon to access the "Welcome Menu" in order to begin the installation process. If your pc has two separate CD-ROM drives and installation proves difficult or impossible from the first drive you have selected, try inserting the CD into the other drive and start the installation process again.

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How Can I Hear Sarge Speaking?

Check that the volume control is turned on.

Check that the speakers are switched on and that all external switches and plugs are connected.

Check the sound icon in the taskbar (bottom right-hand corner of the screen) has not been muted or turned down. Right click on the sound icon to open up your on-screen sound properties and make adjustments if necessary.

If the problem persists it may be that the Microsoft AGENT and SAPI aspects of the PASS program have NOT been installed. Both enable SARGE to talk. Reinsert the CD and follow the instructions to install them. Alternatively you may have problems with either the sound card or the sound card driver e.g. (the software which tells windows how to use the sound card). Please contact us for further advice.

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How Do I Install The Program?

To Install PASS load the CD-ROM. If there is a message that says fail on the system checks, click on continue anyway. Then click on Install Products and PASS. You will then have 2 or 3 options depending on the age of the computer that you are using.

Install the PASS option first, this is normally number 2, simply click on 'PASS' and follow the on screen instructions until the finish button appears. Click on finish and you will be taken back to the previous menu with the 2 or 3 options.

If you have the 3 options you must install MICROSOFT AGENT before you install Microsoft SAPI. Again click on the MICROSOFT AGENT option and click yes, this will then install almost instantly.

If you only have 2 options or after you have installed the MICROSOFT AGENT you now need to install SAPI. To do this simply click on the SAPI option and again follow the on screen instructions, just click on next or ok to all messages. With this part of the program it does take a little longer to install than the PASS part and it does stop and start. Wait until you get the SAPI has successfully installed message before exiting the installation.

When you have done this the program is installed. Close all windows so that you are back on your desktop and you will see that you now have the PASS icon on your desktop to run the program.

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How Do I Register?

Pass can be registered either automatically or manually.

To register automatically load up your internet connection, go into PASS, go to the my licence tab, click register, click register on each module in turn and select register automatically and follow the on screen instructions.

To register manually you either need to be on the computer or have written down the eight digit software keys/serial numbers for each of the four PASS modules. You can obtain these from the my licence tab of the welcome screen within the PASS program

Contact us on 0870 800 2 999 and we will give you an eight digit unlock code to type into each module, under manual registration to unlock all of the areas.

If you register automatically you do not need to type in any unlock codes.

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How Do I Transfer The Program From One Machine to Another?

To Transfer you need to:

Install the PASS program onto the computer you want to transfer it to.

From the PASS program (on the computer that you want to transfer the program onto) write down the software keys (for each of the four modules) from the licence status screen of that computer.

Go onto the original machine and press transfer for each module in turn (on the licence status screen of that computer) and type in the software key numbers that you have written down from the other computer.

The original machine will then give you an unlock code for each module that you type into the computer you wanted to transfer the program onto.

This process is then reversed when you want to transfer the program back.

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Using The PASS Program

The Program Says PC-SGT But I Am Doing The SGT-INSPECTORS Exam?

You need to Login, to do this go to the my account tab from the welcome screen, click login

and complete the required fields. When you have logged in the program will then set for the exam that is being studied for, for example if you login as a SGT the program will change to SGT-INSPECTOR.

What Is Quick Exam?

As the name suggests PASS will quickly and randomly generate an examination comprised of twenty questions covering all FOUR MODULES and the clock begins ticking as soon as the first question appears. Answer each question in turn and after answering the last question, an icon will appear displaying a tick. - the Grade Paper Button.

Click on this icon and it will take you through to the "Examination Results Screen" where PASS will tell you how many questions you answered correctly/incorrectly displaying the percentages and informing you of whether you have passed the exam. Use the return button and PASS will take you back to the Understanding Screen and provide the aims and debrief of each question.

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What Is Quick Study?

Similar to Quick Exam mode. A randomly generated set of twenty questions covering all FOUR MODULES. However in Quick Study there is NO time limit to answer the questions. Regeneration of the questions is possible allowing you, the user of PASS, access to the greatest number of questions possible, in order to enhance your knowledge of the law. You will be able to see what the correct answer to a question was directly after answering it, instead of waiting until you have answered all the questions first, as in the Quick Exam mode. And you can also change the level of difficulty at anytime by clicking on the Level Of Learning Button [Magnifying Glass] and selecting the desired level.

I've Changed My Mind - How Do I Delete A Particular Chapter Within My Study / Exam List?

To delete a selected chapter within your Study/Exam list box, highlight the topic you want to delete, click on Knowledge Options, List and Delete Selected Entry.

I'm In Study Mode On The Knowledge Builder Screen And Each Time I Click On The Question Button, PASS Tells Me 'No Questions'?

You must first build your Study List by selecting a Module or specific topic [i.e. chapter] within a module and transferring it over to your Study List (see above). Then click on the Question & Answer [Q&A] Button and PASS will now generate the questions on the areas [chapters] you have chosen.

Place your cursor over each button found at the top of your screen and a text description of each button will be revealed. For further general advice click on the help option.

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How Do I Generate / Build Questions Within A Particular Module?

You need to be on the Knowledge Builder Screen.

Its possible to do this by selecting either the "EXAM or STUDY" mode buttons found on the "Knowledge Builder Screen".

Click on a picture of a Module of your choice and click again on the Module Name e.g. ROAD POLICING MODULE.

You will then see each of the Topics displayed. Simply click on the Topic [chapter] of your choice, for example within the Crime Module, chose Homicide.

Select the topic by clicking on it once and you will see that the same topic will appear in your Study List box on the left hand side. You can choose many different topics. To generate the questions on those specific topics within your Study List, simply click on the "Q&A" button at the top of the Knowledge Builder Screen.

N.B. The above principle can be used within the "EXAM" mode.

In Exam Mode you can allow PASS to randomly generate the questions. Select the desired Module(s) you want PASS to generate questions on by placing a tick in the small white box next to INCLUDE ROAD POLICING, EVIDENCE, GPD, CRIME.

Select the number of questions you want to answer using the colour-coded up and down arrows - FIVE IS THE MINIMUM AND TWO HUNDRED IS THE MAXIMUM (per Module) and click on the Move Forward Button.

N.B. you can also set the time limit for each question using the (blue) up and down arrows.

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How Can I Change The Font Size Of The Questions and Answers On The Understanding Screen?

Click on "Understanding Options" and select the Font option. Select a higher figure (8 is the smallest) click on APPLY and then O.K.

How Can I Manually Regenerate Questions In Study Mode?

On your icon bar you will see a picture representing a "lightning strike". Clicking on this icon will enable you to regenerate/vary the question. Different questions have different levels of variability Low, Medium, High or Very High and is dependent upon the subject area in question. Regeneration of questions will work at its best when you have the difficulty setting at either Standard or Advanced in order to choose from the highest number of possible answers.

When you answer a question either correctly or incorrectly you will have the choice to regenerate that question or move on to the next question in the sequence, e.g. I of 10, 2 of 10 etc. To move on to the next question click on the Next Question button. You can see at a glance what question number you are on at the top of the screen.

If you want to regenerate a question, simply click on the lightning strike icon. Each regeneration of a question will change:

The 'Points To Prove will alter e.g. Age, Public/Private Place, Numbers of People, Uniform/Plain Clothed, Found Committing .. All the things you need to consider to answer the Question correctly

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Subtle differences within the facts of the question, e.g. Location, make of automobile, names of persons, ages of persons and

What the question is actually asking you (usually written in blue font); and the answers and the order of answers available. For example, if you answer a question incorrectly, say the answer is B and you answer C and you then regenerate that same question, the answer next time might not be B. Thus you need to understand the area of law. It is not enough to simply memorise a particular answer to a particular question. This is where PASS differs from all other products.

You can easily switch between different levels of difficulty whilst answering a series of questions. Click on the "Magnifier Glass" icon and choose the desired level of difficulty.

The variability (Low, Medium or High) does not change for each level of difficulty. It is related only to the particular question and area of law. The aims and the debrief will remain, broadly speaking, the same every time you regenerate a question.

In addition to clicking on either B C or D you can use the keyboard to answer questions

How Do I Change My Feedback Preferences?

To select either Aims, Debrief or both, click on "Understanding Options" (found on the "Understanding Screen") and select Feedback. Choose your desired setting, although we recommend BOTH.

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Problems With Running PASS In Windows

I Keep Getting a Blue Screen?

A blue screen usually accompanies 'Parity Error Fatal Exception' and 'Illegal Operation' error messages?

The cause may be down to a software error or a problem with your PC's memory.

OLE System/application error message - complicated and connected with the program protection that PASS has, some of which will be third party derived such as the Graph/analysis and the Registration/unlock code system. Not much we can do with this.

I Am Getting A Corrupt File Error?

Create a new user. If the user creates a new identity - this should fix the problem.

Occasionally a file becomes distorted by Windows. If this happens try running the Scandisk utility. (see above). If this does not work reinstall the affected file(s) which may mean reinstalling the PASS program.

Parity Error Fatal Exception and Illegal Operation error messages are usually accompanied by a blue screen. The cause may be down to a software error or a problem with your pc's memory.

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I Keep Getting Fatal Exception Error Messages?

Windows 95, 98 & XP address memory in 32 bit mode, unlike Windows 3.1 which can only address the first 4 megabytes of memory in 32 bit mode. Addressing memory in 32 bit mode is more demanding on the RAM and as a consequence, more prone to problems. Fatal exception errors can occur when new memory chips have been added. Windows tries to address a portion of memory in 32 bit mode and returns a failure code. The problem can only be resolved by taking out the new memory. A defective motherboard can also cause Fatal Exception Errors. On rare occasions the only solution is to replace the motherboard.

Fatal Exception Errors can also be caused by a corrupted registry or corrupted Windows system files - such as the KERNAL 32.DLL (the guts of the O/S) a system file essentially, which is loaded into the memory, or Virtual Memory Manager. This can be remedied by deleting the Windows directory or by formatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows. Make sure though you have important data backed up and have everything you need to get the system back up and running, e.g. CD-ROM discs and device drivers.

A KERNAL32 error message can be caused by any piece of software - not just PASS.

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I Have A Class Not Registered Error Message?

This is usually in relation to an Anti-Virus application having been installed on to the PC, and when PASS tries to install, the Class not Registered message appears due to the Anti-Virus software settings preventing PASS from installing critical files needed.

Remedy is to remove the anti-virus program (disabling it will not be enough) make sure the original CD-ROM is still around, and try installing PASS.

If successful, re-install the anti-virus program. If this is not successful, the guaranteed solution is to do a base install of your operating system without installing any anti-virus software. Install PASS - you will see that it works fine. Then install your anti-virus software on top of PASS.

I Have An Illegal Operation Error Message?

This is quite a common message amongst Windows users and is usually the result of a program or software bug. If the error occurs only when running PASS - please contact us. If the message appears frequently and randomly affecting a wide range of different programs then it could be caused by faulty memory, an overheating processor or another system malfunction.

I Have A 'Access Violation - Read Of Address FFFFFFFF In Module CHANTPA.DLL' Error Message?

You must ensure that Microsoft SAPI has been installed. Re-insert the disc in the CD-ROM drive and from the main menu select "Install Products" followed by Install Microsoft SAPI.

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I Have A 'ACCESS VIOLATION' Error Message?

Check your memory (RAM) is equal to or greater than 128 MB. Also check if the right drive is being used - D: or V: drive.

I Have An Error Reading The PASS CD-ROM?

Error reading CD-ROM in drive D: (or whichever letter denotes your CD-ROM drive) may indicate a dirty or scratched or damaged disc. Clean the disc and try again. Frequently a CD-ROM is damaged beyond repair if the above message is displayed.

On older pc's the age and specification of the CD-ROM drive may cause problems in being able to read the disc upon installation. If you experience problems of this nature - please contact us

My Hard Disk Is Full And I Can't Install PASS Onto My Computer?

A full hard-drive can trigger problems. Not only will your pc feel slow as it has to search around for bits of data, it may also crash more often. The more software you install - the more likely you are to encounter two programs that conflict with each other. You may want to remove unwanted programs from your hard-drive using the ADD/REMOVE Program facility (see above).

This is particularly useful on older machines where the size of the hard-drive will be smaller e.g. 1GB.

It is a good idea to use the Disk Defragmenter utility within Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools. This will help to reorganise the data/programs installed on your hard-drive into a more logical order - thus speeding up the performance of your PC

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I Have A Corrupt File Cabinet Error Message?

Occasionally a file becomes distorted by the Windows operating system.

If this happens, try running the Scandisk utility (see above). If this does not work, reinstall the affected file(s), which may mean reinstalling the PASS program.

My PASS System Crashes All The Time?

Check whether you have a previous version of PASS installed on your machine. This will be displayed within your program contents e.g. Start menu, Programs. For example - If you have an older and newer version of PASS installed on your machine - then uninstall the older version. This will help to reduce the possibility of any conflicts.

To delete programs from your system - Click on Start, Settings

Control Panel and "Add/Remove Programs".

Within the properties box you will find a list of ALL the programs you have currently installed on your PC. To remove a program, highlight it and then click on the Add/Remove button

Please ensure that you do NOT have any other programs/applications open (e.g. a "Word" document) at the same-time as running PASS. Check for any open programs in your taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

This is particularly relevant for computers that have a lower amount of memory (RAM).

If the PASS program does crash/freeze on you whilst using it, try pressing ctrl+alt+del keys simultaneously. If you still cannot exit from the crashed program, press the Reset button on your system unit for a few seconds, until your PC has completely switched off.

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Computer Health Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Clean Up After A System Crash?

After every time your PC crashes, try running the Scandisk utility within Start menu

Programs

Accessories

System Tools

Scandisk

This will perform an automatic check on the hard-drive helping to identify and repair any errors found. You may want to disable your anti-virus software prior to running Scandisk.

To disable, locate your anti-virus icon (usually in the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen) right-click and select the disable option. Please ensure you remember to enable it again after Scandisk has completed.

Temporary files (.tmp suffix) should be deleted on a regular basis. To do this

Click on Start

Programs Accessories

System Tools

and Disc Cleanup

A dialogue box appears and selects the (C) drive to search through. Click O.K.

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Select either/both Temporary files or Temporary Internet files from the window and click O.K. Other candidates for removal include:

"$" or ".bak". Both of which can be removed, Click in the Start, Find option and type *.bak

.GID files, .LOG, .TXT can also be removed to buy back a bit more hard drive space.

If the PASS program persistently crashes - the easiest remedy is to reinstall it. First of all remove the PASS program from your system using the Add/Remove Program utility (see above). Then re-insert the PASS CD into your drive and follow the instructions (both on-screen and from the booklet) to install it.

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How Do I Remove Programs From The PC?

Add/Remove program icon in control Panel - standard way.

The only complication is that occasionally an uninstall procedure will ask you to decide if a shared file/component should be removed or not. Shared files are used by your PC to reduce the amount of space used on the drive. The uninstall program is generally clever enough to work out if the shared files it is about to delete are actually being used by another application or not. But if in doubt - do not remove shared files as if you delete them - other applications may not be able to run at all.

The uninstall procedure should remove all of the files stored on the hard drive and all of the registry entries made by the application - however, in practice there is often a little debris left behind on the drive.

The program itself may provide an uninstall utility in the Start, Programs option.

Dump Your 'Dead' Data

Start by running the Windows Disk Cleanup utility from Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. It provides shortcuts for removing unused Windows files and application programs. There's also a wizard that launches the FAT32 conversion utility. If the option is highlighted, your hard drive uses the older FAT16 file system required by the original versions of Windows 95, and converting your drive to FAT32 can free up a lot of space. If you choose to invoke the conversion wizard, read its warnings carefully. You can't undo the conversion without a third-party utility, such as PowerQuest's PartitionMagic

Also remember that good housekeeping counts. Don't forget to use the Add/Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel to uninstall unwanted applications; just deleting the program's folders can leave pesky files in the Windows folder that may come back to haunt you.

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How Do I Run A Disk Defragmenter?

As files are deleted and new ones are written to disk, your data becomes spread all over your drive. The clusters that make up a single file can become scattered around the hard disk, no longer stored sequentially. That means the hard disk has to spend extra time searching for and accessing the files' parts.

Running Disk Defragmenter makes all the parts of each file contiguous, and doing so can significantly speed up hard disk performance. Run Windows Disk Defragmenter from Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter.

How Can I Stop My PC Locking Up When Windows Is Running?

Check Window's System Configuration Utility

Select Start, Run, enter msconfig in the field, and click OK. Click the Start-up tab in the resulting dialog box. Look down the list and make sure that Windows isn't starting up a given process more than once. If you see the same item twice, uncheck the box beside the second occurrence. Another thing to try: Uncheck suspect items you may have added recently that have no uninstall routines. When you're done making changes, click Apply, and then close the System Configuration Utility. You'll have to reboot before your changes take effect.

Restart in Safe Mode

Press F8 shortly after your PC powers up - when it displays the "Starting Windows 9x" text message - to arrive at the Windows 9x Start-up Menu. Select Safe Mode, and Windows will load a stripped-down version of itself with a plain-vanilla VGA display driver and a minimum number of other drivers.

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Unless Windows is damaged beyond repair, it should successfully launch in Safe Mode. If it does, your problem is likely to be a corrupted registry file, damaged or missing system files, or another Windows-related problem.

Run Scandisk to look for hard disk damage

A possible cause of missing or corrupted files is a dying hard disk. Run Scandisk (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scandisk) or type scandisk at the DOS prompt. Under "Type of test" select "Thorough". If Scandisk finds damaged sectors, that's a sign of significant system corruption or real hard drive problems (modern hard drives map out disk errors at the firmware level, so Scandisk shouldn't report any). Back up everything immediately. On the other hand, a few cross-linked files or lost clusters is nothing to worry about, especially after a loss of power or a system crash. Just make sure you clean them up, as they can cause problems for Windows.

Look for Hardware Conflicts

Right-click "My Computer", select "Properties", and select the "Device Manager" tab. Scan the listing of your PC's components. If a component is marked with a yellow circle and exclamation point, double-click the component's name. At the centre of the General tab is the Device Status box, which will tell you if the component is working properly. If it isn't, click the Resources tab and look in the Conflicting Device list.

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If you find a conflict in that list, you must remove it. Do that physically - by removing one of the conflicting devices (of course, by powering down first and following good safety procedures) - or through software, by checking the "Disable in this hardware profile" box at the bottom of that device's General tab in Device Manager. Then try restarting your PC.

Start Windows with Step-by-Step confirmations

Restart Windows and hold down the F8 key to bring up the Windows Startup Menu. Select Step-by-Step Confirmation. Windows then initialises devices one at a time and prompts you for a "Yes" or "No" before moving to the next device. A "No" skips that device's initialisation. A "Yes" should lead to either a message confirming the device's initialisation or an error message indicating initialisation failure. So if Windows locks up, at the very least you'll know which device was being configured and, at most, you may even find out why.

Check your Registry Files. Most of Windows' hardware settings (and most software settings) are stored in the Windows Registry. A damaged Registry file can lead to all kinds of PC problems. Fortunately, Windows provides ScanReg, a utility that automatically creates and stores five days' worth of Registry backups. To run ScanReg, restart your PC, press F8 to reach the Windows Startup Menu, and select Command Prompt Only. From the DOS prompt you can then type scanreg and restore a backup of your registry

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Frequently Asked Questions On MCQ

What Is MCQ?

MCQ is multiple choice questions. The program contains approximately 300 questions from both the Sgt and Inspector Part 1 examination syllabus.

The program allows you to do examination style questions easily and quickly, without the need to set-up examinations or study modes.

You can select which area and which books to receive questions on.

Questions are different to those included within the PASS program but they are constructed in the same way.

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Frequently Asked Questions On QQ

What Is QQ?

Quick Questions is a simple way of learning. It is most useful in the initial stages of the learning process. The program is very quick and easy to use.

You are asked whether statements are true or false.

This program helps to lay the foundations to successful study before moving the user on to the more difficult examination style questions used on the MCQ, PASS DVD, PASS Audio and PASS CD-ROM products.

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Frequently Asked Questions On PASS DVD

What Is PASS DVD?

PASS DVD is a product designed for users who do not like using computers, or for users who would like to