Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 has stopped Working

Problem: Corel Photo Pro X2 has stopped Working on Windows 7

Symptoms:

On a Windows 7 computer:

• Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 ("PSP") hangs with a faded white screen.
• Uninstalling and Re-installing does not help.
• Problems with PSP X2 version 12.00 and 12.01 (SP1)

Solution:
Buy the new version: Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 Ultimate.

According to Corel, only this version is supported in Windows 7. As of 2009.12, nothing on Corel's Support site indicated this and I had to open a support ticket to learn this information. See this link: Corel Windows 7 Compatible Products.

Yes, I know this seems to be the same version as before -- note the word "Ultimate". As much as this pains me, I ordered a copy (they had a web-special the other day, $30.00 USD, with free shipping).

Why would I do this? Even though PSP has its quirks, and it lacks some features that Photoshop users have come to expect, the editor is affordable and does mostly what I need, so I guess I still like the product. I miss the old days when they actually produced service packs for software they still sell. I'll write more details once the software arrives.

Related articles:
Paint Shop Pro X2 Commentary
Cropping with Aspect Ratios

Windows 7 - Show MyComputer Desktop Icons

Howto: In Windows 7, use these steps to put the Computer and Network (MyComputer, MyNetwork) icons on the desktop.

Use these steps to expose / display the Desktop icons for "Computer" and "Network"



Steps:

1. Start, Control Panel, "Personalization"
2. Click "Change Desktop Icons" on the left side Quick Launch
3. Check [x] Computer and [x] Network; click OK



Note: This preference is stored with your profile and does not migrate when another user logs into the computer.

Related articles:
Streamline Windows 7 Start Menus
Exposing the RUN command
Cleanup Startup Programs (for faster boots, faster computers)
Windows 7 Initial Look (how to best install)
Fixing Slow Computers

Windows 7 Slow PS/2 Keyboard Scrolling

Howto: Windows 7 and Vista's default keyboard driver seems to slow; scrolling and cursor speeds lag. Do you have a PS/2 keyboard or a USB keyboard plugged into a PS/2 port with an adapter? Then this article is for you.

Symptoms:
With the new Windows 7, I noticed cursor-scrolling speeds seemed too slow. Pressing the down-arrow key in a long document lagged. My first impression was Windows 7 must not be as fast as Vista. However, I only noticed this problem on my desktop computer and this computer has a old-style PS/2 keyboard with a DIN plug.

Solution:
There are several related solutions to this problem

1. Bug and Registry hack

There is a PS/2 DIN keyboard bug in Vista and Windows 7 and it is fixed with a Registry Hack. If you are not familiar with the Registry, get a knowledgeable friend to help.

a. Start, Run, "Regedit"
If the RUN command is not visible, see this link.

b. Tunnel to this key:
Hkey_localMachine/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/i8042prt/parameters

c. On the detail side, other-mouse-click a blank area and create a new DWord (32-bit) value. Name the new value "PollStatusIterations" (poll status iterations). Set the value to Hex 1

d. Close Regedit and Reboot the computer at your leisure for the changes to take effect.

(Click image for larger view, "Back" to return)

(On my Windows 7 system, with its ancient PS/2 keyboard, this was a dramatic fix for this problem. Perhaps if I downgraded to a USB keyboard, I would not have this problem, but my old IBM clackity-keyboard (now 26 years old!) is too nice to throw away. You can still buy them here at PCKeyboard.com - order the "buckling spring" version.)

2. Consider Adjusting the Keyboard Scrolling Speed

Start Menu, Control Panel, Keyboard.
Peg the Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate to the far-right



3. Mouse Drivers

Although this article is primarily concerned with keyboard/cursor scrolling speeds, mouse scrolling speeds may also be slow due to default Microsoft Mouse and touch-pad drivers. (The default drivers installed by Windows 7 are inadequate and they should be upgraded.)

Confirm Mouse Drivers are current:
In the Control Panel, under "Mice and other Pointing Devices," look at the installed Mouse Driver's Properties. For most, it should read "Microsoft Intellipoint" or a Logitech driver. If the driver appears to be a generic Microsoft PS/2 driver, you should upgrade:

• Intellipoint (mouse) drivers for x64 (Currently ver: 700.2600)

This article does not contain a link for Logitech drivers.

Similarly, for laptops, confirm the Touchpad drivers are current. Two common vendors are Alps Touchpad and Synaptics. In each case, you will probably have to install the Vista 64-bit version. For my Dell computers, here is the link I have used: Dell Vista 64-bit Alps (ver: 7.4.115.102 A00); this should work on all brands but check your laptop's vendor for either Windows-7 drivers or Vista drivers.


3. Video Drivers

Video drivers can also cause slow scrolling if the screen cannot refresh fast enough.

Often, Windows 7 does not detect the video hardware properly on install. Symptoms: a Windows Experience Index (speed test: Control Panel, System, Performance) shows a speed of "1.0" . Your system may need a different driver, depending on which Video Card was installed. Check your system's hardware shipping manifest to see which video card is installed.

In Windows Control Panel, Device Manager, expand the Display Adapter section. If it shows a generic Microsoft driver, you should upgrade.

The two most common drivers are:
NVidia: NVidia.com Downloads
ATI: ATI Downloads

When downloading vendor drivers, watch for variations - Video-card manufacturers have different drivers for different models and be sure to choose properly between 32 and 64-bit Windows 7.

Laptop Battery:

Many have reported a bad laptop battery can cause keyboard problems, where some letters are skipped (this is somewhat different than a slow keyboard). Microsoft's power API apparently goes a little crazy as it receives thousands of power-management interrupts; this can impact the keyboard. See this link.

Testing is easy: Remove the laptop battery and run from AC power to see if the keyboard speed improves.

Also, in these same threads, it was reported that the Video Card ATI service, ATI2EVXX.exe can cause Keyboard problems (this is a hot-key polling service, which you probably don't need). To disable, de-install, then re-install the ATI drivers, choosing the advanced options; do not install the hotkey (I have not tested these steps - TRW). Others have reported that ATI can accidentally have two copies of ATI2EVXX.exe running -- and this is bad.

Optionally, you can disable an existing ATI Hotkey Poller Service with these steps:
1. Start, Run, "Services.msc"
2. In the Services (local) list, locate Ati Hotkey Poller
3. Double left click the Ati Hotkey Poller service
4. Change the Startup type dropdown menu from Automatic to Disabled
5. Click OK, reboot

Although I have not seen threads on this, NVidia cards also have a hotkey process that might also be worth disabling.

Related articles and links:
Windows 7 Initial Look (Installing Drivers)
Windows 7 Streamline Start Menus
Fixing Slow Computers
Dell Laptop Windows 7 Drivers
Intel 975 64-bit drivers
IBM Classic Keyboard with real springs

My thanks to this article for the Registry hack: WTN