Computer Times
Finding & Fixing Computer Problems
Finding and fixing computer problems is always a popular topic because most people realize a little knowledge can go a long way to save a lot of time and money. Many of the costly repairs and support services that computer users require each year can easily be prevented, or cured by the computer users themselves. The old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," can be applied to computers in the words "a little disaster prevention is worth a lot of disaster recovery." In fact, a little disaster prevention may be required to even begin disaster recovery. A couple of examples follow. (The names are omitted to protect the victims.)
A business that relied heavily on customer contacts to maintain a steady cash flow suffered a fire that destroyed computers, files, and all magnetic media. Although they did a tape backup of their entire system each night, they did not maintain any backup tapes or disks off site. There was virtually no way to recover from this disaster and continue to stay in business.
Cure: Maintain backups off site, geographically separated from your original data. A safe deposit box is an ideal spot.
A corporate local area network (LAN) was installed by one contractor, while the software was installed by a second contractor. The corporation began having problems in the first week the system was installed. The LAN contractor blamed it on the software, while the software contractor blamed it on the LAN. The corporation suffered system problems for months, until finally the situation ended up in a costly legal battle between the corporation and the two contractors. A third contractor was hired by the corporation to install a new LAN and better software. The third contractor began with the basics and found faulty power throughout the building. A simple power conditioning device corrected the power problem, which immediately corrected the "problem" with the original LAN and software. The case was settled "out of court" at a very high cost in time, money, and reputation. A new LAN was not required. The original LAN and software were fine.
Cure: When diagnosing a problem, try not to overlook the obvious. Begin with the basics. Many problems can be caused by faulty power, or an overloaded power supply, which creates a brownout effect that adversely affects all system components. Another problem with networks is faulty cabling. Something as simple as a crimped cable, a faulty cable connector, or even a missing terminator cap, may result in many hours of lost time, and many dollars in costly troubleshooting.
Situations like these occur every day, from small home businesses to large corporations. So, what can you do to prevent similar situations from happening to you? The best solution, in many situations, is to follow a simple disaster recovery plan. Here are a few steps to follow.
Many times you can troubleshoot system problems by using the process of elimination. For example, if your monitor appears to be broken, plug it into another computer. If it works, then you should suspect your video card. To check out your video card, plug in a working monitor from another system. If it gives you the same problem as the original monitor did, there is a good chance the video card is bad. Install a working video card from another system. If everything now works, you obviously need a new video card. By using this simple process of elimination, you can troubleshoot most problems and identify the defective part.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned computer user, when your computer is not working properly, panic sometimes overcomes plain old common sense. To help you during these times, we've listed some common problems with simple "common sense" troubleshooting procedures.
COMPUTER / MONITOR / PRINTER WON'T START
COMPUTER WON'T BOOT
KEYBOARD NOT WORKING
NO DISPLAY ON MONITOR
MOUSE NOT WORKING
DISKETTE WON'T READ/WRITE
CAN'T FIND MY FILE
MODEM NOT WORKING
PRINTER WON'T PRINT
PROGRAM WON'T START, OR RUN PROPERLY
IMPORTANT: Before you connect or disconnect any cables, or open your PC to check for loose cards or connections, BE SURE TO POWER OFF (UNPLUG) YOUR SYSTEM.
This is by no means a complete troubleshooting list, but it should give you a good start.
A great Web site to help prevent/cure computer problems is:
When problems occur, stay cool.
Till next month . . .
Happy Computing! J