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  • From Windows to wireless, Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector finds solutions to readers' most vexing PC problems.
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Why Won't My PC Awaken From Power-Saving Mode?

Lincoln Spector

Windows doesn't awaken from its standby or hibernate modes. What can I do?

Name withheld upon request

Many standby and hibernate problems can be traced to graphics boards and sound cards. A simple driver update might get hibernation working again; browse to Common PC Problems Solved: The Ultimate FAQ for an easy way to handle this chore.

Some applications can cause sleep/wake-up difficulties as well. As a test, put your PC into standby or hibernation when particular programs are running, and when they aren't. If everything works when you're not running a certain program, look for a free update, replace the app if no such update is available, or close the program before you take a break.

A BIOS update could also resolve the matter. Check your system vendor's Web site to see if one is available.

If something doesn't work immediately after your system wakes up, wait a bit and try again. Your computer could take a while to come back. If all else fails, enter the name of the hardware or software you installed most recently along with the words standby or hibernate in a search engine to find Web pages and Usenet discussions on potential problems.

Convert PDFs to Word Docs

How do I convert Adobe Acrobat PDF files into Microsoft Word's .doc format?

Joe Kuner, via the Internet

There are several ways to accomplish this conversion that don't involve paying $299 for Adobe's full Acrobat program. Here are some of your alternatives:

FREE: Open the PDF in Adobe Reader and select Edit, Copy File to Clipboard. Then open a new Word document and press <Ctrl>-V to paste in the text. This doesn't copy the file's images or page formatting, and every line of text becomes its own paragraph, so editing the file is harder.

$10: CTdeveloping's PDF to DOC program (see FIGURE 1) accurately imports a PDF file's images as well as its text and all but the most complex page formatting. However, each line of text will be its own frame---as bad for editing as the free option above. Still, the program is useful for straight importing without any editing.

$40: Your PDF file's text will flow from line to line with only an occasional error when you paste it into a .doc file using Investintech.com's Able2Doc utility. Like PDF to DOC, the program converts most of the original file's formatting correctly.

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