Computer Gripessince 2000

Your computer has a gripe fix.

Honest, tested fixes for the things that break every day: Windows Update, Outlook, Dell laptops, printers, and the antivirus you never asked for.

Most griped about: How to Fix Windows Update ErrorsBest Free Antivirus SoftwareHow to Screenshot on Dell Laptop

How to Fix Windows Update Errors: 9 Fixes That Work How to fix a Windows Update error on Windows 11 and 10: read the error code, run the troubleshooter, reset the update cache and repair files with DISM. Windows · Fix guide Read the fix Best Free Antivirus Software: Defender vs. Free Tiers Best free antivirus software compared: Microsoft Defender vs. Avast, AVG, Avira and Bitdefender. Malware protection, pop-ups, data catches and who should pick which. Security · Comparison Read the fix How to Screenshot on Dell Laptop: 6 Ways That Work How to screenshot on a Dell laptop: 6 shortcuts including PrtScn, the Snipping Tool and Fn combos, where your files are saved, and fixes when nothing happens. Hardware · Fix guide Read the fix Firefox Not Loading Pages? 6 Myths and the Real Fixes Firefox not loading pages while Chrome works fine? Skip the reinstall. Check DNS over HTTPS, proxy settings, add-ons, cache and antivirus HTTPS scanning. Browsers · Fix guide Read the fix

Pick what broke

Seven walls of gripes, each with tested fixes, honest reviews and the alternatives worth switching to.

Windows 2 fixes All Windows fixes
Security 2 fixes All Security fixes
Email 1 fix All Email fixes
Browsers 1 fix All Browsers fixes
Hardware 2 fixes All Hardware fixes
Disk & Backup 0 fixes All Disk & Backup fixes
Tips 1 fix All Tips fixes
Got a gripe we missed? Report a gripe

Fresh off the wall

The latest fixes and gripes, each tested on current versions.

Dell Laptop Won’t Turn On? Fixes by Symptom Dell laptop won't turn on? Match what you see (no lights, black screen, blinking LED codes) to the right fix, from a quick power drain to BIOS recovery. Hardware · Fix guide Read the fix Outlook Not Receiving Emails? How to Fix It Fast Outlook not receiving emails? Fix it in order: check the web version, the Other tab, rules, junk, offline mode, a full mailbox and your Outlook profile. Email · Fix guide Read the fix Uninstall McAfee: Remove It Completely From Windows How to uninstall McAfee and remove McAfee from your Windows PC: use the Settings app, run the MCPR tool for leftovers, and turn Microsoft Defender back on. Security · Fix guide Read the fix How to Stop Windows Update: Pick a Method by Time How to stop Windows Update on Windows 11: pause it for up to 5 weeks, use a metered connection, Group Policy or the service, with the real risks of each. Windows · Fix guide Read the fix

Tools for when tech gets in the way

Is it down, or is it you? Is Outlook, Gmail or AOL down right now? Scam check Check a suspicious email or pop-up Renewal reminder Get reminded before an antivirus subscription renews The gripe wall See what others gripe about, add yours

Griping since 2000

Computer Gripes started in 2000 as a catalogue of what stinks about computer products: AOL, ZoneAlarm, Norton, Lotus Notes, Dell. Wikipedia, CNET and Slashdot linked to it.

Relaunched in 2026 under new ownership, the wall keeps the old gripes and adds what they never had: the fix.

The original site was written by a different author. None of its text is reused here.

America Online 2001 ZoneAlarm Firewall 2002 Lotus Notes 2003 Sites that hate Firefox 2004 Dell Hell 2004 Partition Magic 2003 Outlook viruses 2001 Windows Me 2000 The hosts file 2002

How we test a fix

Reproduced first

We break it on a real machine before we write a word, so every step matches what you see on screen.

Version and date

Every guide names the exact software version it was tested on and when. Old fixes get retested or retired.

The downside, out loud

No ads, no affiliate deals. If a product is the problem, we say so and name the alternative.

Got a gripe we missed?

Tell us what broke. The best gripes get tested and fixed on the wall.

Report a gripe