Basic Troubleshooting Tips

Hello every one

This is a very basic guide of what to check when your computer is behaving abnormally.
By checking a few simple items, and trying a few things you may be able to 'repair' the
machine yourself. If a quick solution is not found, this process may help you to describe
the problem more effectively to a computer technician. Unless you feel that you might
need one

The Quick Check List:

If your Computer is not functioning properly check the items on this list first:
1) Ensure the PC is plugged in to a power supply and turned on (make sure all
components are on: the monitor, the printer)
2) Look for any loose or damaged cables and cords that attach to your computer.
** Note as with all electronic equipment, be wary of the electrical hazards It is not
wise to open up the computer unless you know what you are doing. There is a risk of
electrical shock, and a fairly high risk of damaging the electronic components inside the
PC.
3) Make sure that all of your floppy drives are empty (normally all floppy drives should
be empty when booting the computer, unless you want to boot from a floppy disk)
4) If on a network, check with other users of the network in your vicinity to see if their
PC's are functioning normally. Often a downed network can cause a variety of errors
when running applications. The problem may not be with your machine, but with the
network.
5) If all of the above seems to be fine, try turning off the computer completely and
restart it (cold booting). Sometimes this is enough to reset the software and network
connections and get the machine back to working order.

Specific Problems
No Power
When you turn on the computer, there is no power. No lights come on - nothing happens.
What To Look For:

Make sure that the power button on the computer and on the monitor is turned on.
Check the cables attached to the back of your computer. Make sure the power cable is
securely plugged into the computer. If it is only the monitor that will not power up, make
sure that the power cable to the monitor is securely plugged into the back of the monitor.
Check the other end of the power cables to make sure that they are plugged securely into
a wall outlet or power bar.
If using a power bar, ensure that the power bar is turned on.
If you have checked all of the above, and there is still no power to your computer or your
monitor, call A computer service technician. Explain the steps you have taken to try to
eliminate the problem.
One Of The Devices Connected To The Computer Doesn't Work.
This could be a printer, a modem, a CD-ROM drive or even an external hard drive.
What To Look For:
Check the cables that connect the device to the back of your computer. Make sure they
are securely connected. Try rebooting your computer and trying the device again.
If the component does not work after rebooting, and you are using a Windows machine,
take a look at the 'SYSTEM' area in the 'Control Panel'. Open up the control panel,
double-click on the 'System' icon, and then choose the "Device Manager" tab. If a
specific device has a problem you should see a warning symbol (a coloured exclamation
mark) next to the name of the device. This will indicate that the PC recognises that there
is a problem with the device. Do not make any adjustments in this device area unless
you are sure of what you doing. Incorrect setting of devices can cause problems with the
entire computer, not just with the device in question. However, this information is good
to report to a computer technician; it will help narrow the source of the problem.

The Light On The Monitor Comes On, But There Is Nothing Showing On
The Screen
What To Look For:
Check the cable that runs from the back of the monitor to the computer. Make sure it is
securely connected to the computer, and that the screws are tightened. Then reboot the
machine.
If you have checked this, call a computer service technician. Explain that you have
checked the cable.

It Takes Longer Then It Used To Load A File Or To Start A Program On

The Machine
What To Look For:
The files on your hard drive may have become badly fragmented (i.e. saved in non
contiguous pieces all over the hard drive). In cases of a fragmented hard drive a program
trying to load will have to look in several different locations for pieces of the file. This
can take a long time.
On a Windows 95 machine, choose 'Disk Defragmenter" from the 'System Tools'
area under 'Accessories" in the "Programs area of the "Start Menu". Choose to
defragment 'All hard drives'.
The 'Defrag' program will physically move the files on your hard drive so that all the
pieces of the file are stored contiguously. This will make quite an improvement in the
speed of the computer when trying to load files. This utility should be run about once a
month just to keep your system working at optimum performance.

Ways to Handle PC Crashes (Using MS Windows)

Faults and Hangs
In general, crashes fall into one of two broad categories: faults and hangs. A program
hangs when it suddenly stops responding to the system. Often your mouse cursor will
either freeze in place or disappear. In any case, clicking your mouse or pressing a key on
your keyboard will accomplish nothing, except perhaps for producing an annoying error
tone.
When a fault occurs, a message box pops up. If the problem is relatively minor, you will
see something like An error has occurred in your application... and you will be given
the option to ignore the problem and attempt to save your work or close the program
immediately. More severe problems invoke a message similar to This program has
performed an illegal operation and will be shut down..., and any unsaved work in that
program is lost. The worst cases bring up the infamous "blue screen of death", an
informal Windows user name for that blue screen that fills your monitor with a message
beginning A fatal exception has occurred..., which usually results in the loss of all
unsaved work in all open programs.
Recovering from a Hang
If you encounter a hang, do not get frustrated and immediately turn off your computer.
This action will always result in the loss of all unsaved work and could even damage
your vital Windows files. Often you can still access the Close Program dialog box,
which allows you to shut down the unresponsive program to return control of the
computer to Windows 95 and at least save your work in any other open programs and
perform a safe, controlled shutdown.

To access the Close Program dialog box, press the Ctrl key on your keyboard. While
holding that key down, press the Alt key. Continue to hold both keys down while you
press the Del key.
If nothing happens, you're out of luck and will most likely be forced to simply turn the
computer off. Usually, however, a dialog box will open, looking like the one shown
below.

It will list all of the programs currently running on your computer. The name of the
program that hung will often be followed by the words not responding. Select that
program by clicking on it once to highlight it (or by selecting it with the arrow buttons on
the keyboard) and press the End Task button at the bottom. It usually takes about 15
seconds for the program to be closed, so be patient. This nearly always returns control to
the operating system, although you still lose any unsaved work in the hung program.
Handling a Fault
If you encounter a fault, before you do anything, click the Details button on the dialog
box that appears and write everything down exactly as you see it. Save this information
where you can find it. Make sure you write down what type of fault occurred -- there are
many different types. Even if this information means nothing to you, it is invaluable to
technical support people if they need to be called in. A recurring problem in the same
program or device driver will pinpoint the problem to a specific program or piece of
hardware. By keeping an ongoing record, you can contact the manufacturer of that
program or device and your chances of eliminating the root cause are much enhanced.
If you succeed in closing the unresponsive program, keep bringing up the Close Program
dialog and shutting down programs (even though they might not be listed as not
responding) until you can get a clean shutdown. When closing programs always
remember to keep the application named Explorer for last. Explorer is the
application that runs the Windows User and you cannot run Windows without this
interface, so Windows 95 will immediately load a new copy.
If shutdown hangs at the Please wait while your computer shuts down screen, give it a
minute. If nothing happens turn the computer off and back on. You shouldn't encounter
major problems if you make it to this point of the shutdown procedure, and there really is
nothing else you can do to get past this.
Important: Any time that you are successful in restoring control to the operating system
after a hang or a fault, save all you work in the remaining open programs, close them, and
reboot the computer. Although everything may now seem fine, these problems often
cause a lingering instability in Windows and could lead to more problems and often more
serious ones. Rebooting will restore all resources to the system.

When to Call in a Computer Technician

Almost all PC's will have an ocasional problem. The occasional fault or hang, if

recovered from with no further problem, is not a concern. It is when the problem occurs
fairly often that repairs may need to be done.
Reoccuring problems should be attended to by computer services. When a problem
reoccurs, note what you were doing when things went awry; what application you were
using and what you were working on. It is often the case that a problem resides with a
specific application or file and this information may help a technician repair the problem.
Also, note any changes made to the computer system shortly before or at the time the
problems began to occur. At times, installing a new application, adding a new peripheral,
or otherwise altering the configuration of the computer can cause problems in seemingly
unrelated areas. Also your technician might charge you a higher fee if it comes to the
notice that you are illiterate about the problem.so better be careful.

By: The Solution Provider