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RAM MINISTRIES
Total Technology Solutions
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TECH TIPS
Top 10 Troubleshooting Checklist
Top 10 Troubleshooting Checklist 1. Is the computer plugged in? This sounds simple enough, but you'd be amazed how often a power cord is the source of the trouble. Show me a stone-cold dead PC and I'll find a loose power cord, usually at the computer end. Alternately: The power strip/surge protector has somehow been switched off. 2. Are you looking at the right cord? If the computer starts but the monitor doesn't, guess which power cord it is? That, or it's the monitor cable if the monitor turns on but there is no picture. 3. Plug and replug. And if the network, modem, keyboard, or mouse is on the fritz...until proven otherwise, it is always a cable problem. Turn everything off and unplug and replug all the cords and cables, and many problems will work themselves out. 4. Have you checked your PC cards? Likewise, check to see if a cable has somehow wiggled one of the add-on cards out of its socket. If any of the cables attached to your PC want to wiggle around despite being firmly screwed in, this is likely your problem. You'll have to open the computer to fix this one. 5. Is there ink/toner in the printer? It's amazing how a lack thereof can impede your printing efforts. 6. Are you sure the phone jack works? When you plug a regular phone into your modem line, do you get dial tone? If not check any adapters that may be plugged into the phone jack. 7. What have you changed recently? While it's true that computers sometimes break down for no reason, most problems have something to do with new hardware or software and occur shortly after installation. I am amazed by how often I ask people what software they've recently added/uninstalled and they can't tell me--until the sixth or seventh time I've asked. Does uninstalling, then reinstalling problem software fix things?8. Does removing the hardware clear up the trouble? USB devices are a problem in this regard as the computer may not be able to provide enough power to the device. Trying uninstalling as many USB devices as you can and see if the problem goes away--some devices, for example, don't get enough power from a hub but work fine when connected directly to the computer. 9. Where are you booting from? If there is a diskette in the drive or a CD is trying to boot your computer, you can get really odd errors--so make sure all the drives are empty. 10. When in doubt, reboot. Finally, of course you've already rebooted the computer (more than once, if necessary) to see if it solves the problem. You have, haven't you? You'd be amazed how many people stare at a frozen computer waiting for it to come back to life. This sometimes does happen, but after about 10 minutes of waiting, consider a power-down reboot. Likewise, sometimes it takes multiple reboots to make a problem go away. 1. Back up. Backing up your entire hard disk might be impractical, but make sure all your data files, customization files, Registry, and application configuration files are backed up. Don't just do it once--make it a regular habit. 2. Make sure you have up-to-date Windows startup disks (Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Startup Disk). Be sure to have copies of all your device drivers handy as well. 3. Store your user names and passwords on paper and keep them somewhere safe. If you forget your Windows password, having it in a file on your PC won't help you. 4. The Windows Registry is not something to be fooled with unless you have some experience using it already. Even if you are familiar with the Registry, you should be extremely careful not to stray from the task at hand or you'll risk severely damaging your system. 5. Did we mention that you should back up your PC? 6. Partition your hard disk. Put your data files on a separate volume from your operating system and programs. Put a copy of your operating system on a separate hard disk as well: It will make backups and re-installation of software much easier. 7. Paste a copy of each program's serial number to its CD jewel case, or use a permanent marker to write the number on the CD itself (on the label side!). 8. If you're on a network, keep a copy of all your network settings (IP address, DNS, gateway, network card settings, and so on) handy. 9. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you have no compelling reason to open the case or upgrade your operating system or applications, don't. 10. No kidding, really: Backup is important. Motherboard This is the main circuit board of a PC, your motherboard will depend on your choice of processor (CPU). They also come with various peripherals built in such as sound card, modem and graphics card. You can disable these peripherals if you want to, but, for instance, if you buy one with a graphics card built in then make sure it has an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) port or you may not be able to change to a different graphics card if required. Also onboard graphics cards normally use the systems memory instead of their own so it can slow down the system if you don't have sufficient RAM (Random Access Memory). The modems that are built in are normally 56K standard modems and will suffice for most uses, unless you want an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) or DSL (Digital Subscribers Line) modem. The sound cards that are built in again will suffice in most circumstances unless you want extra inputs or outputs like surround sound for instance.
Processor This is the brain of your computer, and has a very dramatic effect on the speed of the entire system. It is wise to go for the best processor your budget can afford. The Pentium 4 is now becoming the standard along with the AMD equivalent.
Memory (RAM) (Random Access Memory) This is a very important part of your PC, 128Mb (megabyte) is the minimum you should look for. If your motherboard has an onboard graphics card then it might be wise to go for a bit more memory (RAM) like 256Mb due to the fact that your graphics card will be using some of your main memory (RAM). Any less will slow down your PC when using powerful programs due to the fact that the PC will use Virtual Memory, which is a technique of utilizing hard disk space for memory, hard disks have a slower access time.
Sound card This controls the sound in your PC, for instance if you were going to use the PC for musical purposes or you wanted a DVD player then you may want a good sound card with surround sound, also they come with various inputs and outputs so think about what you will want out of your PC in the way of surround sound or digital recording facilities.
Graphics Card This is the card that controls the quality of the graphics displayed on your monitor, so if for instance you were going to use the computer for powerful graphic applications (Graphical games, Computer Aided Design, etc) then you would want a decent graphics card, the standard now is around the 32Mb mark, these cards come with 32Mb ram built in to the card and reduces the need for your PC to use it's own Ram If your motherboard has an onboard graphics card then you can change the amount of memory that is assigned to it using the setup utility on your motherboard (sometimes known as the CMOS settings). Some graphics cards have TV outputs allowing you to connect your PC to your TV, this is handy if you have a DVD player !
Hard Drive This device is where you will store most of your programs and data, with software becoming ever more complex it is best to go for one of at least 20Mb. There are also different types, IDE ( Integrated Drive Electronics ) and SCSI ( Small Computer Systems Interface ), the latter being faster but more expensive. Most users will find IDE more than ample in the way of speed. In IDE there are different models which have different RPM ( Revolutions Per Minute ) speeds, the standard is 5400RPM, but you can also get 7200RPM and faster, obviously the faster the better, but they can get expensive.
Modem This is the device that connects to the telephone line and controls your connection to the internet, normally the average 56K modem will suffice, this will transfer a maximum of 7 Kilobytes a second (with a perfect phone line and server !) if you have an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) phone line/utility then you will need to purchase the relevant modem for your phone line.
CD-ROM These devices do not really make a dramatic effect on the performance of your PC only if you are constantly using them, but normally when you have installed anything from CD ROM it is normally accessed from the hard drive. If you go for one at 50X (that's 50 times faster than a normal CD) then it should suffice, it is best to go for a brand name for the sake of warranty.
CD Writer This device is used to record CDs, they come in various speeds, the speed depicts how fast they can burn (write) CDs. For instance a 52X will write a CD 52 times faster than normal (74min CD in just over 7 mins), also you can get rewritable CD recorders (which most of them are), with these you will often see them advertised as 52X-24X-52X, this means it will burn (write) at 52X, ReWrite (write again over an existing rewritable CD) at 24X, and read at 52X. If you are considering buying one then go for a brand name, and if it's possible go for a medium to top of the range model. They normally come with bundled software for burning (writing) CDs.
DVD This device can be used to watch DVDs on your computer, they are advertised as having different speeds, try and go for one in excess of 8X. If you combine it with a graphics card (see above) that has a TV output then you can link your PC to your TV and watch DVDs on your big screen.
Network card This device is used to link 2 or more computers together, the average home user will not require this device, if you are thinking of purchasing a machine with a network card then go for one that is at least 100Mb/s.
Monitor This is really down to personal preference, 17" is a good size although if you are going to be sitting close to the screen then 15" should suffice. One thing to consider would be the dot pitch but they are all fairly similar these days.
What we have explained above should give you a bit of an insight into what's inside a computer, and hopefully give you a better idea of what you are looking for in a PC.
If you are going to buy an " off the shelf " PC such as a brand name then make sure it will do everything you want it to, and also, that you are not paying for a feature that you don't really need. 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 power type of 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 floppies, 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 100 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use. If you use Windows Me or Windows XP then you should have 200 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. 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. 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.
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