Troubleshooting Tips
If your computer is running slow
1. Close out all your running programs and delete all the *.TMP files from the C:\WINDOWS\TEMP directory.
2. Empty out the Recycle Bin.
3. Run Disk Cleanup (START-PROGRAMS-ACCESSORIES-SYSTEM TOOLS-DISK CLEANUP).
4. Run the Windows Defrag program (START-PROGRAMS-ACCESSORIES-SYSTEM TOOLS-DISK DEFRAGMENTOR).
If nothing appears on your monitor
1. Check to see if the monitor is turned on and properly connected.
2. Make sure that the monitor is connected to a working outlet or that the UPS or surge protector is turned on.
3. Check to see if the screen brightness and contrast controls are in their normal position.
4. Check to see if the screen saver has been activated or the monitor is in sleep mode. Press any key on the keyboard to turn the display back on.
5. Is the monitor power light on? If you have done steps 1 through 4 and the power light is not on, chances are that you have a dead monitor.
Computer displays a disk error or non-system disk error
1. You may have left a disk in the A drive. Remove it and press any key on the keyboard to reboot the computer.
2. If you don’t have a disk in the A drive, and the message is accompanied by a "clunking" sound, turn the computer off and send for a technician.
The mouse doesn't work
Check to make sure the mouse is still properly connected to the computer. If the mouse has been disconnected, you may have to reboot your computer.
Like the keyboard, the mouse pad is sitting in the open most of the time getting dusty, wet, slimed, or anything else that happens on you desktop. The mouse then rolls over whatever has collected on the mouse pad and gets inside, gumming up the works. To clean the mouse pad, wipe it off occasionally with a damp cloth or get a new one.
You also need to clean your mouse regularly, as often as twice a week. If you turn your mouse over, you’ll notice a round ball with a cover over it. This cover can be twisted off and the ball will come out. Roll the ball on a clean, lint free cloth. Then take a look at the rollers inside the mouse. Take tweezers, a screwdriver, or even your fingernail to scratch the dirt and lint off the rods. Next, you should look inside the mouse and clean out any other dirt or lint that is hiding in there. Finally, replace the ball and twist back on the cover.
If you have a laser mouse simply clean it with a disinfectant wipe or damp cloth.
The keyboard doesn't work
1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del (all three keys at the same time) to bring up the Task List. Select any program that says "Not responding" and click the End Task button. Repeat until all tasks are ended. Check periodically to see if the keyboard will work.
2. Check to make sure the keyboard is still properly connected to the computer. If the keyboard has been disconnected, you may have to reboot your computer.
3. If all else fails, then turn the power off. Wait a couple of minutes before turning the computer back on.
Special Note
One of the dirtiest parts of your computer is the keyboard. Regular cleaning will help keep the keyboard working properly. First, blow compressed air through the spaces in between the keys to remove dust and lint. If you shake your keyboard upside-down this will also remove some of the particles.
Another keyboard problem that could occur is when you turn your computer on and you get a message that no keyboard was detected or you get into Windows but are not able to type. Remove the keyboard connector for the CPU, examine the pins in the connector to ensure they are straight, then reinsert the connector. Also, check and make sure the mouse and keyboard connectors have not been switched. If the keyboard still doesn’t work try connecting, another keyboard that you know is working. This will determine if you need a new keyboard or if you have a CPU problem.
Computer is locking up or acting weird
1. If the computer is frozen and will not respond to any commands, it may be necessary to press Ctrl + Alt + Del (all three keys at the same time) to bring up the Task List. Select any program that says "Not responding" and click the End Task button. Repeat until all tasks are ended. If this does not work, turn the computer off, wait several seconds, turn the computer back on, and let the computer run the Scandisk.
2. Reboot it. A majority of problems that occur while you are using your computer can be fixed by rebooting. Applications sometimes don’t release memory like they should when they are finished. The end result is your computer locks up or acts really weird. When you reboot, memory registers are cleared and most everything is reset. This fixes a lot of problems.
Special Note
It doesn't hurt a computer to leave it running all the time. However, using the computer for long periods of time causes small problems that can build into larger ones. When Windows reboots, it fixes most of these small problems. Therefore, restarting the computer periodically while working can help reduce the risk of glitches.
Computer is completely dead
Check all the connections, the cables between the CPU and the monitor and all the electrical cables. Check the wall socket or surge strip to see if they are bad (sometimes a surge strip will have good and bad outlets). If you have a green light on your monitor but not on your CPU, then there is a problem with your CPU. If there is a green light on your CPU and not your monitor, then you have a problem with your monitor and your CPU may be fine. If you have another monitor that you know is good, the quickest way to test is to put another monitor on the machine and see if you get an image on the screen. If you have a light on both the monitor and the CPU, check the pins of the data cable between the monitor and the CPU. A single bent pin can cause an image problem.
Computer Health
Keeping your home computer healthy and clean
If you are not running some kind of anit-virus or personal firewall, you probably do. This is one of the most simple and free things you can fix for yourself and you should NEVER have to pay someone to remove a virus or clean up your computer for you. It's simple and free to keep yourself protected if you just follow my directions here.
FIRST - you need to clean the computer up, there are lots of "free" programs out there that claim to clean up your machine, but there are 2 that I absolutely recommend running that actually work and will keep your machine clean if you run it regularly and keep it updated.
So click here and download Malware-Bytes, free edition and then install, update it on the update tab and then perform a FULL scan the first time. After that you can run a bi-weekly quick scan and keep most of the baddies off your computer. This anti-virus is designed to run on a regular basis and is a stand alone program that does not run in real-time.
SECOND - Once you are clean and free of viruses and ad-ware then you need to think about a personal anti-virus firewall. An anti-virus firewall could be described as a program that runs in the background and is monitoring your system all the time. A lot of people pay for this service, like with Mcafee or Norton's but there are lots of free ones out there that are just as good, AVG, Kaspersky, and a myriad of others for just an example, so never think you can't afford to be protected. Personally, I suggest AVAST, free edition. It really is free, it runs in real time, and will firewall not only your computer but your outlook express as well. It runs quietly in the background and will stop a bad download in its tracks if it contains anything that is classified as a trojan, worm or email virus. I use these products on my own computers at home and have been virus free since setting it up two years ago. So download AVAST free version here. Once you have it downloaded and installed, you must register it with a valid email address and they will then send you a registration number to that email address you provided. This number is good for one year, this does not mean that in a year you now have to pay for it, just that you need to re-register it and they will notify you when you are getting close to time to re-register so that you never have to go unprotected.
If all else fails and you are still convinced you have a virus there is one more program you can run, that is free, and will most certainly take off anything the others missed. It is a little known free program called Dr. Web CureIt. You can download it here. Then click on the green link to the right top of the page and it will start the download - after installing follow the on-screen prompts and if there are any remnants of anything on your computer, it will find it and take care of it.
I know this may seem like a lot of reading and a lot of work. But a healthy computer means a happy user and you will enjoy your computer experience so much more and with less headaches.
I hope this helps you and as always if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
