Computer Repairing
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.