Jay D Weaver's Thought for the Week - Do's and Don'ts When Computer Problems Arise

Do's and Don'ts When Computer Problems Arise

A Troubled Computer

I told you last week that I had some computer problems. I thought it might be a good time to talk about what to do when problems occur. First, I should tell you that my computer has been working fine all week, but only at half power. I will explain that in a little while.

The most important thing to remember is not to panic. Just sit back and think a little bit before you do anything. Unless you hear a grinding noise, nothing worse will happen while you stop to think. If you hear a grinding noise, it is probably your hard drive that is going bad. In that case, try to save what you are doing and shut down immediately. If you see smoke coming out of the computer, don't even try to shut down the normal way. Simply pull the plug out of the wall.

Most problems are not that severe. The large majority of them can be fixed by simply rebooting your computer. Here are the steps to try if that is necessary.

First, try to shut down the usual way by clicking on "Start," then "Turn off Computer," then "Turn Off"

If you can't do that, then hold down the CTL and ALT buttons, while you hit the Delete button. That will bring up the "Windows Task Manager." Along the top of the window, you will find the words "Shut Down." Click on that and your computer will shut down.

If that doesn't work, look on the front of your computer case for the reset button. That will restart your computer.

If that does not work, then simply pull the plug from the wall. That will work.

Let me remind you that these are things that you only do in case of an emergency. The computer always has some cleanup chores to do when you shut down and you should always shut down by the first method when you can. Otherwise, you cause problems to build up in your computer.

Try to reboot your computer. Is everything alright now? If so, your problem is solved. If not, shut down again. Once your computer is shut down, stop and think a minute. Did you do something that might have caused the problem? If so, perhaps you can undo it. If you are running Windows XP, the computer sets restore points every time you start it up and it usually sets one before you install new software. These restore points are listed by dates and you must pick one out with a date before you did the thing that may have caused the problem. You will not lose any of the work you did and saved, but it will restore the system to an earlier time when your computer was working properly.

I don't have space here to teach you how to set and recover restore points. My suggestion is that you practice the procedure now while your computer is working. Click on Start, then click on "Help and Support." A window will come up. Under the heading "PIck a Task," you will find the phrase "Undo changes to your computer with System Restore." Then simply follow the instructions. Simply use the last restore point that was made. That will restore your computer to what it was when you last turned it on. You will not harm your computer by doing this little exercise. Then when an emergency arises, you will know how to do it.

As I said earlier, the important thing is not to panic. Don't simply start pushing buttons and doing things that only make it worse. If you can't fix it, then take it to a good computer repair shop. Don't ask the kid down the street to fix it. You don't ask him to fix your car, so why should he work on your computer?

Now, the saddest thing that happens is when you lose all those pictures of your grandchildren, your financial information, or the first 20 chapters of that novel you were writing. Learn how to back up your system, and particularly the files that contain your stuff. Software can be reinstalled, but your stuff can't. If you want to learn more about working with your computer, I have five lessons that you can find on my computing page on this web site. I think that I will spend a little time next week talking about backing up your computer.

Now, I said I would explain why my computer is running at half power. It would not boot, that is it would not start up. So, I opened the case and pulled out some of my components to see if the mother board would come to life. I pulled out one of the Memory cards (RAM) and it started to turn on, but then it failed. I disconnected my hard drives and it still would not work, so I knew it was not my hard drives that had failed. Then I pulled out both of the RAM cards and the computer beeped when I turned it on. That was a good sign. In the process, I disconnected a side fan and then things began to happen. I plugged a RAM back in and connected the hard drive and Wa-la, it fired up. Since I needed the computer this week, I didn't want to mess with it any further, and I closed the case up and reconnected it. I am only operating with half the RAM. That's why I am running on half power.

I did order another power supply and I plan to install it tomorrow. I think the old one may be weak and about to fail. Then I will put everything except the fan back in and see if it works. I'll let you know next week what happened. I don't intend to reinstall the fan, since it is not necessary anyway. My computer stays cool enough without it. You might want to print this out and keep it somewhere for reference. I do suggest you learn how to set and recover restore points. It is a good exercise. Happy Computing!!!!

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