How to fix common PC errors

We’ve all done it – selected a file, pressed the Delete key and then immediately regretted it.

Or perhaps in a moment of madness we’ve left the cat or a small child too near an unguarded PC while we went to make a cup of tea, only to find on our return that the document we were working on has vanished, the screen has mysteriously turned upside down or the keyboard doesn’t seem to be working as it should.

However, thanks to the safeguards built into Windows and many popular programs there is usually no need to despair. Many common computer mistakes can be easily and quickly rectified, with a little know-how.

We will explain how to recover from 30 everyday ‘Oh no!’ moments, ranging from the some of the very simplest to the most baffling.

1. Recover deleted documents
Luckily, in most cases deleted documents are kept in the Windows Recycle Bin and are easily restored. If you have just deleted the file in Windows Explorer, immediately holding down the Control (Ctrl) key and tapping Z to undo the action may work, but if not, double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the Windows Desktop.

Look for the document just deleted, right-click on it and choose Restore. Users of Windows 7 or Vista should also see our third tip, for help restoring previous versions of files.

2. Correct a rotated screen
Some computers can rotate the Windows display by 90° or 180°. It can be disconcerting when activated by a mistaken key press. In most cases, holding down Control and Alt before tapping one of the cursor (arrow) keys will fix the problem – the up and down arrows flip the display vertically, the left and right arrows flip it horizontally.

If that fails, in Windows 7, press the Windows key and R, type desk.cpl and press Enter. Press Alt and O, then use the up and down arrow keys to select Landscape. Press Alt and A to apply, then click Keep Changes.

 

3. Go back to a previous version of a file
If you have incorrectly changed the contents of a document (or even a folder), then accidentally saved it, you might be able to restore the original version.

In Windows 7 (and all versions of Vista except Basic and Home Premium) right-click on the file or folder and choose Restore previous versions. In Vista, choose Properties then Previous Versions.

Choose the version you want and click Restore. This feature requires System Restore to be enabled (previous versions are saved when a Restore Point is created, usually once a day).

4. Find lost emails
To restore a deleted email in most PC-based email programs, find the deleted items folder (usually called Deleted items, Trash or Bin), click on the email and drag it back into the Inbox folder.

Webmail often has a ‘Move to’ menu command to restore the highlighted item back to the Inbox. In Gmail or Virgin Media Mail, the Bin is located under the More link below the folder list. Sometimes emails can get moved to the Spam or Junk Mail folders, so take a look there, too.

5. Fix overtyping
In most applications, if typed characters overwrite existing characters, then overtype mode has been enabled. Accidentally pressing the Insert key can cause this (in older versions of Word, look for the letters ‘OVR’ highlighted on the status bar). In Word 2007 and 2010, it’s a configurable menu option.

To change the behaviour, press Alt and F, then T, then A, then Alt and O. Tick the box next to ‘Use the Insert key to control overtype mode’ to enable or disable the Insert key.