Basic Steps to Troubleshot that wont BOOT For computer users, there might be a time that youll be experiencing

certain problems in your computer that might look complicated though its not. One of the most common problems of users is when their computer wont turn on or just display a blank screen. Below are some tips which can help you resolve these kinds of problems. Check your power connector Always check first if your power connector is properly inserted to your power supply because most of the time, it is just a loose connection. Always check your connections from time to time to prevent short circuits because of loose connections. Check your power supply The power supply is the main source of power for your motherboard. If youre experiencing automatic restarts, automatic shutdowns or even a blank screen, your power supply might be the issue. Open your case and check if the fan of your power supply runs after pressing the power button. If not, it is clearly a faulty power supply. Check your RAM Check your memory if it is placed properly, some computers wont display anything on your screens if there is no RAM or an improperly placed RAM is inserted on the slot. It might be helpful if you get a pencil eraser and clean your RAM. This also works most of the time. If your RAM might be the problem, replace it immediately. Check your VGA cable If your computer turns on but a blank screen is still an issue, try checking your VGA cable if it is also properly placed. Check both ends of the cable, the connection from your computer and the connection from the monitor. If it still wont work, try replacing your cable and test it again. If you think that your monitor is the problem, try using another monitor for this case. If it runs on other monitors, your monitor might be the source of the problem. Check your video card If after another monitor and it still doesnt display anything, it might be a problem on your video card. In this case, try using the built in video card if you are using a dedicated video card. If that resolves your problem, your video card is defective but if after using the built in video card and it doesnt display anything, it might already be your motherboard. The said tips are only the basic steps in troubleshooting a computer that wont turn on. This might be helpful for beginners but always be careful especially in opening your system Computer Hardware Upgrading Tips Upgrading is the term used by computer users to add or replace hardware components to a better one to improve performance. Before upgrading your computer you must first know your hardware components. You must know your motherboard, CPU (Processor), RAM (memory), hard disk, video card and also your power supply. Most hardware components are upgradable but will still depend on your components. Below are some tips to help you in upgrading your computer. Motherboard- When upgrading your motherboard, make sure to check your processors compatibility together with your RAM. If you just want to replace your defective motherboard and retain your old processor and RAM, you just need to buy a motherboard with the same socket as your old one. But if you want to upgrade your motherboard to a higher specification, you must first check if your old processor and RAM are supported by your new motherboard but if not, you need to upgrade it also. CPU (Processor) In upgrading your CPU, you must always check your motherboards socket before replacing your CPU. If you want to upgrade your CPU but it is not compatible with your motherboard, this just means that you also need to replace your board in order for your new CPU to work. Upgrading your CPU is the most expensive in all upgrades but it can really boost your systems performance. RAM (Memory) Upgrading ram is simple; you just need to know your motherboards supported clock speeds to determine the type of memory you need for upgrading. And also, always look for a motherboard that has 4 or more memory slots so that you can easily upgrade your memory in the near future. Hard disk The only thing you need to check in upgrading your hard disk is the type of cable your motherboard is using. There are two kinds of cables: the IDE and the SATA cable. IDE cables are used in older computers and its also a ribbon type cable. SATA cables are the newer ones; it is much faster compared and much thinner compared to the IDE cable. Upgrading hard disks are commonly used by computer users that need large storage for their files. Video card Video card upgrading is normally done by gamers. They upgrade their built in video cards so that they can support the games that they want to play. In

upgrading your video card, you must check your motherboards slot. Check if is supports AGP or PCI slots. AGP slots are commonly used by older computers while the PCI slots are the newer ones. Power Supply Upgrading the power supply will always depend on your case form factor. The most commonly used case factor is the ATX. You must also look for a power supply that can meet your motherboards power requirements but the higher the watts of your power supply, the better. If you are a gamer, make sure that you have a good power supply so that you wont have any problems especially when you own a high end video card. In upgrading, you must always check your system first for compatibility. If its not compatible, dont try it anymore to avoid damage. Another thing, make sure that your power supply can supply enough power to your system. Upgrading your system can cost you thousands but it can really help you boost your systems performance. Basic Trouble Shooting Tips In computer technology, troubleshooting is a term used to repair or fix a certain computer problem / error. This is normally done by a computer technician who has the sufficient knowledge in solving computer related problems. But not all problems needs a computer expert, some problems can be fixed by you to avoid spending some money on a very small problem. Troubleshooting a computer is not a hard process if you are interested in computers. If you want to fix the problems on your computer, below are some tips on how to search the possible cause of your problem and solutions for your computer. For error related computer problems The best thing to do is to write down the said error and search the internet for the possible solutions. Troubleshooting needs a bit of patience and hardwork. If you have this two, you have a bigger chance in solving your problem. A registry cleaner might also do the trick. Just run the cleaner and it will automatically repair the errors. For virus related problems The first thing you must do is to run a virus scan on your computer. A malware scanner or a spyware scanner might be helpful in this stage. Run the said kinds of programs to help you remove specific viruses. This might remove some virus though it is not assured. If you think that your computer is still infected, run your task manager and search for processes which may be a virus. Search the net if you doubt that a certain process is a virus. If problems still occur, the last option is to reformat your computer but make sure to backup your important files first. In restoring your files, make sure that you have an effective antivirus first before unpacking your recovered files. For computer slow down problems This might be caused by too many running programs that are unnecessary. The best thing to do is to remove some start up entries which are not really important to you. You can also run a registry cleaner which can help you boost your computers performance by removing unnecessary files and errors. Another thing is to defrag your computer to fix some blocks in your hard drive which can make your computer faster. The said tips are the basics in troubleshooting. Just follow the tips and it can help you remove certain computer related errors and problems First, let's focus on booting problems. Personal computers that dont boot-up It will take only a few minutes to detect possible reasons why your PC is unable to boot or power-on. The most possible reasons involved why your computer fails to boot would be that you have tried to boot from a bootable Universal Serial Bus (USB) or optical drive and it all landed to failure. When this happens, all you need to do is to check both power and external cables for you to determine if the screen is on. Your motherboard has a failure on its hardware when you hear noises which come into pattern sounds like it beeps once, followed by two beeps, another two beeps, and then three beeps. For this reason you need to check it out with your Basic Input Output System (BIOS) manufacturer for more assistance on this issue. You may check if all your mother board cables like hard drive links and power supply are connected properly after opening the box and also you may check on the internal cables if theres no noise coming from your personal computer. You may remove and reinsert your Random Access Memory (RAM) and test if you can boot with one RAM stick for the time being to check if the RAM is seated on the right way; but if your Random Access Memory is dual, stick is not necessary. You may test if you can sub in your one or more RAM component.

Remember that cheap power supply are failure prone and to check if your personal computer will boot, you may try connecting a back-up power supply to your system and install it inside the box. When it comes to buzzing fans, it may be that your power supply has enough to keep the fan going but no more for the rest of the system. You may try to remove the discrete graphics card and attach to the monitor the integrated graphics connector of your personal computer. Take note that if the above techniques to fix the booting issue dont work, you may have a busted Central Processing Unit or bad clusters on your motherboard. On the continuation of these series, youll be reading about optical drive booting next. So keep on reading for more.
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Optical Drive Booting Sometimes, even booting our computers takes a lot of effort to do, most especially when there are errors in the system. It will not take you a minute to boot your personal computer from the optical drive instead of using hard drive to reinstall access repair tools or Windows on your Windows Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). Before you reboot the system make sure that your DVD is inserted while Windows operating system is on function. You may press the right key (F12 or F10 or Esc) when you see instructions like Change Boot Order, Select Boot Device, and the like after thoroughly watching the on-screen text while its booting time. Reboot the machine and reboot once more if you miss a key which will not take a minute. Press Return after using arrow keys to choose your optical drive once youre in the menu. A little patience is needed to do this process so you may need to wait shortly. A message something like-To boot from CD press Return- or similar will appear on your screen. Remember that the system will continue its normal booting process using hard drive if you dont press the correct button. Understanding Weird Error Messages Most of us who are using computer programs sometimes encounter weird error messages when you hit a wrong key or choose an invalid option. When this type of issue happens, it will take less than 10 minutes to write down the text or message as is, as long as the error messages dont make your system crashed. For you to retain the error message on the screen you need to transfer to a different personal computer if the error has made your PC unable. You can pretend that you are the only person who have ever seen or received that error message for an easy noting of the error and you can use that error message to research on the best and possible solutions to apply from the Web. Theres no better assistance to correct the error but through the use of Microsoft support and files for standard help. You may click through the results you found on the internet when you are to search solutions on error messages you encountered. You may take note that a bad audio driver will lead to the problem which involves creating some editing on your Registry or removing some files. On the third part of this series youll be learning about audio problems troubleshooting and bad driver roll-backing. So keep on reading for more updates. Why do Windows programs stop responding? A computer, operating system, software program or driver may stop responding or cause other programs to stop responding because of several possible reasons, such as a confliction of software or hardware resources between two programs, lack of system resources, or a bug in the software or drivers. Solution To recover from a program that has stopped responding, a user can generally press the CTRL + ALT + DEL keys on his or her keyboards to open the "Close Program" window or open the "Task Manager" window and click the "End Task" button to terminate the program. If another window opens, click the "End Task" button again to confirm stopping that program.It is important to realize that when a program stops responding any work that has not been saved will more than likely be lost when end tasking a program. Unfortunately, there is no alternative.If you continue to experience programs locking the computer or stop responding we recommend you review our General Troubleshooting page for recommendations on steps that can be performed to help stop this issue from occurring. My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it? Cause This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities. 1. 2. 3. 4. Not enough hard disk space. Left over programs and bad files. Data Corruption. Missing Windows updates / outdated drivers.

5. Computer is overheating. 6. Corrupt OS Windows restarts without warning. Software issue or error. 1. 2. 3. 4. Hardware issue or error. Heat related issue. Computer virus. Issue with operating system. Answer:This document is for computers that are restarting or rebooting by themselves and not computer's that turn off and remain off. Software issue or error:Errors generated by software programs can cause a computer to reboot unexpectedly or without warning. If you are running Windows XP see the below section "For Windows XP users" before continuing.If you are not running Windows XP or following the below steps still cause your computer to reboot without warning. Boot your computer into Safe Mode, and let the computer run in Safe Mode.If the computer is still rebooting in Safe Mode the issue is likely not software related but something else, skip to the next section. If the computer is not rebooting in Safe Mode it is likely you have software related issue. We would recommend you run through the basic troubleshooting section for your operating system. For Windows XP users:Windows XP is designed to automatically reboot each time an error occurs such as a BSoD. Although this may be nice for errors that do not occur often, users who have a re-occurring error may wish to identify the error to troubleshoot it. Below are the steps on how this feature can be disabled and enabled in Windows XP. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. From the desktop right-click on My Computer. Click the Properties option. In the System Properties window click the Advanced tab. In Advanced click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery. In the Startup and Recovery window uncheck the Automatically restart check box. Click Ok.

Now if the computer generates and error it should not automatically restart and enable you to display any errors your computer may be experiencing. Hardware issue or error:Some of the below steps require you open your computer. While in the computer, be cautious of ESD.Any failing hardware component in your computer could cause your computer to unexpectedly generate an error or reboot without warning. If you have recently attempted to add a new hardware device, remove that device to make sure it is not causing your issues.Make sure you are not encountering any hardware conflicts by viewing Device Manager for errors.New drivers can also cause this issue, if you have recently performed any hardware driver updates you may wish to try an earlier version of the drivers. Additional information and help with computer drivers can be found on our drivers page.If you have updated drivers and removed any hardware that could be causing this issue and continue to experience random reboots, it's possible that the memory is bad in the computer. How can I test my memory to determine if it is bad?:Finally, hardware devices that are not installed properly in the computer can also cause random reboots. Make sure all the cables and expansion cards are connected properly to the computer. The best way to determine this is to disconnect and reconnect all cables and expansion cards. Computer virus: Computer viruses such as the blaster virus are written to reboot your computer without warning. Usually these viruses will make the computer reboot ever 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes after the computer has booted.If you believe your computer may be infected with a virus or are uncertain if your computer is infected with a virus make sure your virus scanner definitions are up to date. How do I update my antivirus program?

Heat related issue Many computer today are designed to turn off or automatically reboot if the computer, processor, or other device in your computer gets to hot. If you have heard any abnormal noises coming from your computer recently such as a high squealing this could indicate a fan may be failing in your computer. First, verify the fan on the power supply is working by examining the back of the computer and seeing if the fan is moving and moving smoothly. For all other fans in the computer you will need to either open the computer and verify all fans are working, e.g. processor fan and case fan.If your BIOS monitors the RPM of the fans enter CMOS Setup and verify it does not report any errors. What temperature should my processor be running at?
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Issue with operating system:If after following each of the above recommendations your computer still continues to reboot it is likely that you are experiencing a Microsoft Windows operating system related issue that cannot be explained. To help make sure this is the case try the below steps. 1. Reboot the computer and enter CMOS setup as the computer is booting. 2. After you have loaded the computer in CMOS setup let the computer sit. If the computer does not reboot while letting the computer sit in CMOS it is likely that you are in fact experiencing an issue with Microsoft Windows and it is recommend that if you have followed all of the above recommendations that you reinstall Microsoft Windows. General printer troubleshooting. Solution: Printer does not have power indicator:First, make sure that the printer is on. When a printer is on it should have some light (usually green) indicating it's receiving power and is on.If you do not have any indicator light make sure the printer is connected to a working power outlet by verifying each end of the power cable. Next, press the printer power button.If after following the above steps your printer still cannot get a power status indicator it's likely you're encountering a serious printer issue and we suggest contacting the printer manufacturer for additional steps and instructions on repair or replacement. Cables not connected properly:Your printer should have two cables connected to it. The power cable and the data cable, the power cable should have already been verified as being connected if your printer has a power indicator light as mentioned above. Make sure the data cable (parallel cable or USB cable) is also connected from the printer to the computer. Printer error (orange or blinking light):After your printer has completed its initial startup you should have a solid green light. If the light indicator is blinking or orange often this is an indication of a printer error. For example, this could indicate a paper jam, issue with the ink or toner cartridge, or other serious error.Because there is no standard to what a blinking light or orange light means if you're getting either of these we suggest referring to the printer documentation for troubleshooting steps or methods of determining what the status indicator is reporting. No paper or paper jam:Without paper your printer will not be able to print. Make sure you have paper in the paper loaded into the printer paper cartridge or tray. Next, verify that no printer paper is jammed or partially fed into the printer. If you have one or more pieces of paper stuck in the printer these will need to be manually removed before the printer will print again. Inkjet printer ink related issues:Often when you're encountering an ink related issue you're printer status indicator light (mentioned above) should be flashing. If this is not occurring you may want to skip to the next section. However, if you've recently inserted a new ink cartridge you may want to try the below suggestions. Replacing ink cartridges and printer not working.

Printer self tests:Most printers have a way of printing a test page. This page allows you to determine if the printer is physically working or not. This test is usually accomplished by holding down a series of keys. If you are not sure if your printer has this feature or how to perform it refer to your manual or visit your printer manufacturers web site.In addition to testing the printer using the printer self-test Microsoft Windows users can also perform a software self-test to determine if their computer is able to see the printer and it's able to print. Follow the below steps to perform this test. Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, 2003, and Vista users 1. Click Start, Settings, and open Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Printers or Printers and Fax icon. 3. Right-click on the Printer you wish to test and click Properties. If you do not see your printer listed your printer is not installed. 4. In the Printers Properties window click the Print Test Page button. 5. If the printer is able to print a test page, you're printer is installed and setup properly. However, if you're unable to print in other programs it's possible that the program you're attempting to print from has issues. Older versions of Windows with older printers:If you are running an older printer and MSDOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT, you can also attempt the below software test. Get to a MS-DOS prompt or Windows command line Get to the root directory - Type: cd\ Reroute dir to printer - Type: dir > lpt1 The above should take the directory listing and print to the printer. If this does not print, refer to your operating system troubleshooting section. Extra Note: This will not paper feed, therefore press your FF or PP, or manually eject the paper. Printer drivers:If your printer does not have any flashing lights and is connected properly it's possible you may be encountering a driverrelated issue. We suggest visiting our printer driver listing, which links to all major printer manufacturer driver pages and downloading the latest printer drivers for your printer. Parallel (LPT) printers:If the printer you're connecting to the computer is an LPT (parallel port) printer we also suggest verifying the below suggestions if your printer is not working. Parallel port in CMOS 1. Enter the computers CMOS setup. 2. Once in CMOS verify that your parallel port is enabled or installed. 3. Next, verify the printer or parallel port mode. This option will often have several different modes. If your parallel port is set to ECP mode, we suggest trying a different mode. Other parallel device:If you have a parallel printer with other parallel devices such as a parallel scanner or zip drive, temporarily disconnect these devices to verify they are not causing your issue. Basic network troubleshooting. Cause If a computer is unable to connect to a network or see other computers on a network, it may be necessary to troubleshoot the network. A network may not work because of any of the below reasons. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Network card not connected properly. Bad network card drivers or software settings. Firewall preventing computers from seeing each other. Connection related issues. Bad network hardware.

Solution:Because of the large variety of network configurations, operating systems, setup, etc... not all of the below information may apply to your network or operating system. If your computer is connected to a company or large network, or you are not the administrator of the network, it is recommended that if you are unable to resolve your issues after following the below recommendations that you contact the network administrator or company representative. Note: If you are being prompted for a Network password and do not know the password, Computer Hope is unable to assist users with obtaining a new or finding out the old password. Verify connections / LEDs:Verify that the network cable is properly connected to the back of the computer. In addition, when checking the connection of the network cable, ensure that the LEDs on the network are properly illuminated. For example, a network card with a solid green LED or light usually indicates that the card is either connected or receiving a signal. Note: generally, when the green light is flashing, this is an indication of data being sent or received.If, however, the card does not have any lights or has orange or red lights, it is possible that either the card is bad, the card is not connected properly, or that the card is not receiving a signal from the network.If you are on a small or local network and have the capability of checking a hub or switch, verify that the cables are properly connected and that the hub or switch has power. Adapter resourcesEnsure that if this is a new network card being installed into the computer that the card's resources are properly set and not conflicting with any hardware in the computer.Users who are using Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or XP, verify that Device Manager has no conflicts or errors. Additional help and information about Device Manager and resources can be found on our Device Manager page. Adapter functionalityVerify that the network card is capable of pinging or seeing itself by using the ping command. Windows / MS-DOS users ping the computer from a MS-DOS prompt. Unix / Linux variant users ping the computer from the shell. To ping the card or the local host, type either ping 127.0.0.1 or ping local host This should show a listing of replies from the network card. If you receive an error or if the transmission failed, it is likely that either the network card is not physically installed into the computer correctly, or that the card is bad. Protocol Verify that the correct protocols are installed on the computer. Most networks today will utilize TCP/IP, but may also utilize or require IPX/SPX and NetBEUI.
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Additional information and help with installing and reinstalling a network protocol. When the TCP/IP protocol is installed, unless a DNS server or other computer assigns the IPX address, the user must specify an IP address as well as a Subnet Mask. To do this, follow the below instructions. 1. Click Start / Settings / Control Panel 2. Double-click the Network icon 3. Within the configuration tab double-click the TCP/IP protocol icon. Note: Do not click on the PPP or Dial-Up adapter, click on the network card adapter. 4. In the TCP/IP properties click the IP address tab 5. Select the option to specify an IP address 6. Enter the IP address and Subnet Mask address, an example of such an address could be: IP Address: 102.55.92.1 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192 7. When specifying these values, the computers on the network must all have the same Subnet Mask and have a different IP Address. For example, when using the above values on one computer you would want to use an IP address of 102.55.92.2 on another computer and then specify the same Subnet Mask.

Firewall:If your computer network utilizes a firewall, ensure that all ports required are open. If possible, close the firewall software program or disconnect the computer from the firewall to ensure it is not causing the problem. Additional time:In some cases it may take a computer some additional time to detect or see the network. If after booting the computer you are unable to see the network, give the computer 2-3 minutes to detect the network. Windows users may also want to try pressing the F5 (refresh) key when in Network Neighborhood to refresh the network connections and possibly detect the network. Additional troubleshooting:If after following or verifying the above recommendations you are still unable to connect or see the network, attempt one or more of the below recommendations.If you have installed or are using TCP/IP as your protocol you can ping another computer's IP address to verify if the computer is able to send and receive data. To do this, Windows or MS-DOS users must be at a prompt and Linux / Unix variant users must open or be at a shell. Once at the prompt assuming, that the address of the computer you wish to ping is 102.55.92.2, you would type: ping 102.55.92.2 If you receive a response back from this address (and it is a different computer), this demonstrates that the computer is communicating over the network. If you are still unable to connect or see the network, it is possible that other issues may be present.Another method of determining network issues is to use the tracert command if you are a MS-DOS or Windows user or the traceroute command if you are a Linux / Unix variant user. To use this command you must be at the command prompt or shell. Once at the prompt, assuming that the address is again 102.55.92.2, type: tracert 102.55.92.2 or traceroute 102.55.92.2 This should begin listing the hops between the computer and network devices. When the connection fails, determine what device is causing the issue by reviewing the traceroute How can I test for hardware failures in my computer? Answer Click on one of the below links for the hardware device you're wanting to test. Or browse through the complete document if you're trying to diagnose whether or not the computer has bad hardware. Although hardware failures can occur with your computer, if it is encountering errors, make sure you've exhausted all software troubleshooting. The majority of errors encountered on a computer are caused by software or hardware drivers, and not a failing hardware device. See the basic troubleshooting section for a good starting point in troubleshooting your computer. Computer hard drive (HDD) A bad hard disk drive can cause an assortment of different issues on your computer. Below are just a few of the possible issues you may encounter. It is important to remember that the below issues can also be caused by more than just a bad disk drive. 1. 2. 3. 4. Errors when reading, copying, moving, or deleting data on the computer. Extremely slow. Operating system unable to boot. Other random errors or computer reboots.

Software solutions Below is a listing of a software programs available that are designed to test your computer's hard disk drive for errors.

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Scandisk - Users running Microsoft Windows who're still able to get into Windows can utilize the already installed disk checking tool Scandisk to find and repair any errors on their hard disk drive. Chkdsk - Another Windows command line utility to test the hard disk drive. If you're unable to boot into Windows, boot from the Windows CD enter the recovery console and run: chkdsk /f to fix errors. TestDisk - Fantastic free and open source utility to test and fix several different hard disk drive errors. Hitachi Drive Fitness Test (DFT) - Great third-party utility that can be used with most hard drives and supports the option to create a bootable CD image. Seagate SeaTools - Fantastic and free program that is used to test all computer hard disk drives. HDD health - Another great program that utilizes S.M.A.R.T technology to display a hard disk drive's statistics, such as the temperature of the drive, it's overall health, and every other SMART attribute. Replace the hard disk drive:If the hard drive appears to be bad or is generating SMART errors indicating its bad even after trying the above suggestions, we suggest replacing it.Often hard disk drives have a several year warranty and if the drive or the computer the drive is in is relatively new may still be under warranty (even if the computer isn't).If you're concerned about recovering lost data from a defective drive consider using a company who specializes in data recovery. Computer memory (RAM) :Click on one of the below links for the hardware device you're wanting to test. Or browse through the complete document if you're trying to diagnose whether or not the computer has bad hardware. Although hardware failures can occur with your computer, if it is encountering errors, make sure you've exhausted all software troubleshooting. The majority of errors encountered on a computer are caused by software or hardware drivers, and not a failing hardware device. See the basic troubleshooting section for a good starting point in troubleshooting your computer. Computer motherboard & processor (CPU) Computer power supply (PSU) Computer CD/DVD disc drivesNote: Before following any of the below steps, make sure multiple discs do not work in the drive. If only one CD or DVD is causing problems it's an issue with the disc itself and not the drive. Many CD and DVD drive errors in Windows are caused by drivers or other background programs. If you're running Microsoft Windows run through Windows disc drive troubleshooting steps first. A bad disc drive can cause an assortment of different issues on your computer. Below are just a few of the possible issues you may encounter. It is important to remember that the issues described below can also be caused by more than just a bad disc drive. 1. Error when reading CD or DVD. 2. CD's or DVD's may not play or play audio / video properly. 3. CD or DVD programs may not install or encounter errors after being installed. There are several different ways to test your computer's disc drives if it's bad or has flaws that are causing issues with your computer. Below is a listing of these recommendations.

Software / Hardware solutions:Below is a listing of a software programs available that are designed to test your computer's CD and DVD disc drives and discs.
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CDRoller - Great program that is used to test and if needed recover data from CD's and DVD's. CDCheck - Another great program used to help check CD drives (no DVD compatibility) and can also be used to help recover data from damaged discs.In addition to the above solutions there are other fantastic 100% commercial products. Below is a listing of some of these products. CD/DVD Diagnostic - Diagnostic program from InfraDyne that is not only capable of testing a drive and disc, but also recovering some or all data from discs that may be bad.Replace the disc drive:If the disc drive still appears to be bad after trying the above suggestions, we suggest replacing it.Computer buying tips.

Computer Maintenance Tips

Ten Tips to Keep your Computer Running Smoothly 1. Never, never, turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down. The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to. Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc, and it will prevent a host of Windows problems. Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your computer. 2. I highly recommend that you purchase an UPS (uninteruptable power supply) for your computer. This will keep your computer from crashing during power outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences. An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any type of power disaster. (See #1 above for what happens when your computer crashes.) 3. Backup, backup, backup, any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate physical drives. So backup data to external hard drives, Zip disks, CD-RWs etc. The time to backup is when you create something you can't afford to lose. Don't wait until tomorrow. 4. Run Scandisk and Defragment at least once a month. This will keep your hard drive healthy and prevent crashes. Alternatively, purchase Norton Utilities and use it to keep your hard drive healthy. 5. Never unplug peripherals from the computer when it is powered up. Unplugging with the power on can short out the connector socket or the motherboard. The only exception to this rule is if you know a peripheral is "hot pluggable". If you do not know what "hot pluggable" means then ignore this exception. 6. Do keep at least 300 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use. If you use Windows XP or Vista then you should have 400-600 MBs of free space on your C: drive. If you do not have enough free space you will choke Windows and it will start dumping data to your hard drive, or it will just get really, really, slow. Use the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to delete unneeded programs from your drive. You can also use Cleansweep included in Norton Utilities to clean up your drive. If you do use Cleansweep or another hard drive cleaner, do not delete shared files unless you back them up. The cleaners do a rotten job of knowing if another program uses shared files. 7. Do not let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer. They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows internal workspace). All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up. Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time. 8. Do use a virus checker regularly. Everyone should use a virus checker. The best type of protection is continuous monitoring from a dedicated anti-virus program like Norton Antivirus. The second best thing is to use is the free online virus checkers such as Housecall provided by Trend Micro.

9. If you have a high speed Internet connection you need a firewall program. A firewall program keeps those who want to hijack your computer from gaining access to your system. You really do not want someone else running your computer. I suggest you purchase and run Norton's Personal Firewall program. Your firewall should boot up with your computer to protect it from invasion. Case in point: When I am online 10 hours or more with my DSL connection, mycomputer is usually attacked by a hacker at least once. Do not think you are safe from hackers!! Hackers use search programs to seek out computers at random. Get a firewall program and use it. 10. Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals. These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you never know when you will need them. Hopefully these computer maintenance tips will keep you out of trouble. However, if you have problems with your computer, feel free to ask for help on our InfoHQ Help Board.
What is backing up and why should I do it?
To back-up is to make spare copies of files and store them separately to the originals. Computers have a tendency to go wrong from time to time, these days total hard drive failure is rare, but it does happen. One of the more common problems nowadays is the threat from viruses, with some of the more serious infecting the master boot record of a hard drive's file system. If the master boot record of a hard drive is infected with a virus, then the Fdisk utility, or similar, would most likely have to be run, the chances are the data on the drive would be lost, or at least costly to recover. Operating system failure and bad software installation are other things that can cause problems when it comes to recovering files. How frequently you back up will depend on how often you use your PC and what you use it for. The average home user will probably just have to back up any important files as and when they are changed, and do a full back-up once a week/month (depending on PC use). When PCs are used in a home office scenario then backing up should be done more frequently. One rule of thumb would be if your important files change daily, back-up daily, if they change weekly, back-up weekly, and so on.
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Back-up Devices
Floppy Disks Although becoming less common, floppy disks are great for backing up small files. The average 3.5" floppy disk can hold up to 1.44 MB of data, which is sufficient for any letters or important text documents. Backing up with floppy disks is as simple as copying the file, or saving the file to the floppy drive. A ZIP program, such as Winzip, can be useful to compress any files that are too big to fit on a standard floppy disk. USBFlashDrives(memorysticks) These fantastic little devices are great for backing up your data, although not as reliable for backing up as a CD or DVD on which the data is physically "burnt", USB flash drives provide a quick and very easy way to backup your files. Their storage capacities range from around 1GB (GigaByte), up to 16GB (GigaByte) and

beyond. The low cost of USB flash drives also makes them an inexpensive way to store fairly large amounts of data. CDWriters/DVDWriters With CD/DVD writers becoming ever more commonplace, they are ideal for making backups of large amounts of data. A typical CDR disk (blank CD) holds up to 800MB of data and costs pennies, a typical DVD disc can hold up to 3.4GB of data. CD/DVD writers are also very easy to use. The software that comes with them is normally very straight forward and can create back-ups of your data in minutes. ZIPDrives Zip drives are still a popular media for backing up data. Both internal and external ZIP drives are available and some models can store up to around 750MB of data. These drives normally come with their own special software, which is usually very simple to use. ExternalHardDrives External hard drives are a great way of backing up your data, for more about these devices see our guide to external hard drives.
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Back-up Software Packages

There are many back-up software packages Our guide to cleaning and maintaining available, they are reasonably priced your keyboard. (compared to a lot of software) and can be invaluable if you have very important files. Computer Keyboards can get dirty very easily, to clean the surface of a keyboard is Some back-up software makes it simple to very straight forward. In this guide we will back up whole drives, including operating show you how to clean your keyboard system files with a few clicks. This means if thoroughly, as well as how to give it a quick the worst happened, you could have your once over. PC system up and running again within hours.

We will guide you through with the aid of photos and diagrams. We have split the guide into two parts, the first part is for keyboards that just need a quick clean, the second part is for membrane keyboards (most standard keyboards) and includes removing the keys for a thorough cleaning. To keep your keyboard in top condition the moderate cleaning could be done weekly, and the more thorough clean could be done every 2 months (depending on use).

What y y y y y y

you will need: lint free cloth. dry cloth or duster. suitable cleaning fluid (isopropyl alcohol). cotton buds. Can of compressed air or vacuum cleaner. Flat tip screwdriver (optional for thorough clean).

Moderate cleaning (quick and easy) First, shutdown your PC and remove the mains plug, unplug the keyboard (remember which socket) and hold it upside down to release any debris from inbetween the keys (pressing the keys is a good way to release it). If you have a can of compressed air then use it to blow any debris from around and under the keys, if not then use the hose of a vacuum cleaner to remove it. Now take one of the cotton buds and put a couple of drops of the cleaning fluid on it, use the cotton bud to clean the sides of the keys as seen in fig 1.1. After cleaning the sides of the keys take your lint free cloth and dampen it with your cleaning fluid (don't put the liquid directly on the keyboard), give the surface of the keyboard a good wipe over using the cloth to trace the contours of the keys (see fig 1.2).

When you have finished give the keyboard a wipe over with the dry cloth/duster, you should now have a nice clean keyboard, to clean it more thoroughly follow the guide below.

Thorough cleaning (takes longer and requires patience) Standard membrane keyboards only (not laptops or non-membrane keyboards) Shutdown your PC and remove the mains plug, unplug the keyboard (remember where it was plugged in) and hold it upside down to release any debris from inbetween the keys. This is where the patience comes in, make a note of the position of all the keys or you will have trouble putting them back correctly, alternatively just remove the letter keys A Zfrom the keyboard (which is where the most of the dust/debris will be) and refer to fig 1.4 as a reference to put them back. All the keys can be removed although the larger keys (space bar, enter key, shift keys, backspace, caps lock, etc) can be difficult to put back so you might avoid removing them. Remove the keys using the screwdriver, ease the screwdriver under the key and gently lift the key top off (see fig 1.3). note: don't forget to make a note of their position !! When you have removed all the keys (except any keys you wish to avoid) use the compressed air (or vacuum cleaner) to remove any dust and debris from inside the keyboard. Now is a good time to give the keys a proper clean, for best results clean each one individually (the patience thing again) with the cloth and cleaning fluid, when clean, wipe them over with the dry cloth. Before replacing the keys, take your lint free cloth and dampen it with your cleaning fluid (don't put the liquid directly on the keyboard), give the surface of the keyboard a good wipe over ensuring to clean as much as possible any keys that you haven't removed. When the keyboard is nice and clean replace the keys according to your notes or if you have just removed the letter keys use fig 1.4 as a guide, to put the keys back on position the key in place and press gently but firmly until it clicks home. After replacing all the keys give the keyboard a quick wipe over with your dry cloth and you have a nice clean keyboard. Cleaning your Monitor - How to clean a flat screen monitor and a CRT display Cleaning your Monitor - How to clean a flat screen monitor and a CRT display Welcome to our guide to cleaning your LCD or CRT (conventional) computer monitor. Computer screens are prone to dust (especially CRT screens) and fingerprints! This tutorial will show you how to clean your LCD or CRT screen. The method for cleaning a monitor is very straightforward and can be completed in a few minutes. If you are looking to purchase a new monitor see our guide to LCD and CRT monitors Safety First Before cleaning your monitor, disconnect the monitor from the power supply and the computer. In the case of a laptop/notebook screen, ensure the system is turned off. If possible, remove the battery.

How to clean an LCD screen (TFT/LCD computer monitor or laptop screen)

What you will need: y a soft, anti-static cloth (for the plastic casing) (if required). y microfibre* (lint-free) cloth (similar to eyeglass cloths). y suitable cleaning fluid for the monitor's plastic case. y suitable LCD screen cleaning fluid or distilled water**. * microfibre cloths can be found in automotive and electronic stores. A good substitute would be the soft cloth used to clean eyeglasses, or in an emergency a very clean oldpure cotton t-shirt. Never use paper products like tissue! ** for some screens the water may be mixed with isopropyl alchohol for stubborn marks, BUT always check the manufacturers instructions for your particular model. If in doubt and suitable LCD screen cleaner is not obtainable, use just water (preferably distilled).

1. If you are going to clean the monitor casing, do it before you clean the screen. Spray the antistatic cloth with a suitable cleaner (don't spray the fluid directly onto the monitor/laptop) and wipe the monitor's casing (be careful not to touch the screen with the cloth or cleaning solution). 2. To clean the screen, gently wipe the dry microfibre cloth across the surface of the screen (in straight lines) to remove any dust. 3. If there are stubborn marks, put some of the LCD cleaning fluid (or water) onto themicrofibre cloth and gently clean the area (never spray fluid directly onto the LCD screen, always spray/apply onto the cloth) 4. Ensure the screen/monitor is completely dry before use.

Cleaning a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor

What y y y you will need: a soft, anti-static cloth. a lint-free cloth. screen cleaning fluid (glass cleaner is usually ok).

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors can be cleaned in much the same way as conventional tube televisions. 1. Use the anti-static cloth and a suitable cleaner for the plastic casing of the monitor. 2. Spray the screen cleaning fluid onto the lint-free cloth (never spray directly onto the screen) and wipe the monitor's screen in straight lines. 3. Ensure the monitor is completely dry before you reconnect the power.

Cleaning a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor

What y y y you will need: a soft, anti-static cloth. a lint-free cloth. screen cleaning fluid (glass cleaner is usually ok).

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors can be cleaned in much the same way as conventional tube televisions. 1. Use the anti-static cloth and a suitable cleaner for the plastic casing of the monitor. 2. Spray the screen cleaning fluid onto the lint-free cloth (never spray directly onto the screen) and wipe the monitor's screen in straight lines. 3. Ensure the monitor is completely dry before you reconnect the power. The virus The internet is an excellent tool, and no doubt has changed the way most people communicate. Unfortunately the internet, email in particular, has created an easy to target medium for the spread of computer viruses. As you have probably heard these viruses can cause absolute chaos to whole networks of computers at a time. A virus is basically a malicious computer program. The effect (payload) of viruses differ, some either modify, delete or steal data and others may give control of your PC over to their creators via the internet. One thing they all have in common is that if you get infected and you don't have antivirus software, you might not know you have it until it is too late. A Worm refers to a virus that can replicate and spread by itself over a network (the internet for instance). Worms are getting very common and are among the biggest troublemakers on the internet. A virus/worm can sit on your machine for months (potentially even years) without doing anything, and then be triggered by a certain date/time to do what it has been designed to do, this is referred to as its payload. As these viruses/worms become ever more advanced, the need for antivirus software has never been so great.
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Antivirus

software

Antivirus software is designed to keep your PC free of these computer viruses & worms. It does so by scanning your PC's file system looking for known viruses, if a virus is found it will inform you, and then take steps to remove the virus threat. Good antivirus software will automatically check any files being transferred to and from your computer. Any antivirus software should at least scan attachments of incoming emails automatically (even if the option can be turned off). Virus definition files Antivirus software usually works by checking a file for certain patterns of binary code. The patterns which it uses to identify viruses are stored in what is known as a virus definition file. When a new virus comes out, the virus definition file needs to be updated to include the new virus' pattern. The importance of keeping these definition files updated cannot be overstated, basically antivirus software without updated definition files is useless. Most good antivirus software will update these files automatically (or at least have the option to do so). The update of the definition files is usually achieved by having the software connect via the internet to the vendors website (server), and then downloading and installing the latest virus patterns. This is one of the reasons why it is important to purchase antivirus software from an established company. Imagine you bought antivirus protection and then 6 months later the company went bankrupt, where would you get your virus definition updates from? If you don't have antivirus software then check out these antivirus products from established developers: y PC Tools AntiVirus y Kaspersky Anti-Virus Products y McAfee VirusScan y Norton Antivirus Welcome to our guide to deleting temporary files. Deleting the temporary files from your computer can help keep it running smoothly as well, as speeding your computer up. Temporary files are created on your PC for numerous reasons, including when you browse the internet, install programs, and by the operating system itself during normal use. In this tutorial we show you how to use the Disk Cleanup utility, which comes as part of the Windows 98/Millennium and XP/2000 versions of the Windows operating system, to remove the files. Delete temporary files with the Disk Cleanup Utility To open the Disk Cleanup utility: 1. click on the START 2. then either PROGRAMS (WIN 98/2000/Millennium) or ALL PROGRAMS (WINDOWS XP) 3. then hover over ACCESSORIES, SYSTEM TOOLS and then click on DISK CLEANUP (NON-XP users may be prompted to select the drive that you wish to cleanup. In most cases it will be the C: drive that you need to select) You will then see the following dialogue box appear:

Once the utility has finished analyzing your hard drive the following screen will appear:

Tick the boxes of all the different types of temporary files that you would like to cleanup. In most cases you would tick all of the boxes, you can view the associated files by clicking the VIEW FILES button.. When you have finished with your selections, click the OK button. You will then see a dialogue box similar to that shown below:

Once the dialogue box has closed, your temporary files have been removed.