There's
nothing worst than when a machine that you depend on so much, just decides it
doesn't want to work anymore. If you run a business and your computer stops
working, most of the time you do too. If this happens, your problems could range
from small , something you can handle yourself, or they can be very big. In this
case a professional can help. To help reduce the cost, identify the problem
before you have it serviced if you can. According to some hardware and software
manufactures, many people call customer service for some rather common and
annoying problems. Technicians have pointed out that , people tend to overlook
the obvious when diagnosing computer problems. Some of the most common questions
asked are as follows: Why won't my system boot? The first thing you should check
is the power cord and all other connections to make sure they are attached
securely. A lot of things happen when you turn on your computer. It begins by
running a diagnostic routine to make sure all system components are working
properly. If your computer beeps a few times and stops working before it
displays a message on your monitor, there's a chance that a critical piece of
hardware has failed. It may be a good idea to seek professional help at this
time. Also, you could have a dead battery if nothing happens after you hear the
floppy drive whir. Your computer depends on a battery to preserve important
system settings when it is cut off. Batteries can die as often as every two
years. Why is my system so slow? Even if you have the fastest CPU money can buy,
it won't do much good if you 're running short on memory. Today's computer
should have at least 8MB of RAM to work effectively. If you can afford 16MBs, it
will pay for itself with added productivity. An inefficient hard drive can also
slow down your system. This can be solved by upgrading your hard drive.
Fragmented files may be another reason for a slow drive. When you save files
their contents get spread out over the physical surface of the disk. DOS can
find the file, but your disk drive spends a lot of time jumping around to
collect the various parts of the fragmented file. Why is my computer out of
memory? An insufficient memory message can mean different things. To check and
see if your system is about to crash, switch to Window's Program Manager, pull
down the Help menu, and select About Program Manager. The last line of the
dialog box includes information about the amount of memory that is available.
When the level of available memory drops to less than 50 percent, you risk
crashing. How do I get my data from a crashed hard drive? When your hard disk
crashes, it may not be the disk that's the problem. A controller card may have
gone bad, this can be replaced and this will completely restores all the data on
your hard drive. If the actual disk is damaged, there are companies that can
recover information from the damaged disk and rebuild whatever files they can.
The best way to get data back from a crashed hard drive is to always back up all
your files. Why is my display blank / distorted? Inspect your power cord and
video cable. Then make sure your brightness control is not turned down. If the
picture is distorted, try adjusting your monitor's vertical or horizontal
controls. If these things do not work you may have a bad video card. Your
solution to this problem, buy a new monitor. Why can't I print a document? Check
all printer cables. Check to see if it's out of paper, or if your printer may be
jammed. If you have installed a new printer, you may have a port mismatched. You
will have to tell the computer which port has the printer. If all these checks
fail, you could have a bad electronics board. Call in the professionals for this
problem. Why did my peripherals stop working when I installed a new card?
Computers have to be told how it should communicate with a specific peripheral
without interfering with equipment that's already installed. Your computer
communicates with each peripheral using individual ports, interrupts (IRQs), and
DMA channels. Before you add a new card, use the Norton Utilities to find out
which of these are free and print out the report for reference. If the card has
already been added to your system and it causes other equipment to malfunction,
pull it out and start over. Why doesn't my modem respond? Check all cables
running to and from your modem, also check the phone line running to the wall
connection. If this is not the problem, you may need to change the COM port
assignment. The modem's manual should explain which settings indicate which COM
port should be used. Why do I lose my modem connection when I'm online? The tone
generated by an incoming call knocks a modem off-line. Some phone lines will let
you temporarily disable call waiting while online by prefacing a phone call with
the *70 code on most touch-tone systems and 1170 on rotary connections. To check
to see if this code works on your phone, pick up receiver and press *70. You
will hear a second dial tone, and you will then know your system supports this
feature. Computers can have small to very large problems. If you can not solve
the problem yourself, its time to call in some professionals to check it out.
There is a 24-hour helpline, run by KnowledgeBroker Inc. They offer technical
support for about any PC hardware or software problem. Calls can be billed to a
credit card on a toll free number or to your phone bill through a 900 number.
These calls can be expensive, but its worth it if they can help.