CYBER NOTES by Dave Benore
What to Do When Things Go Wrong
What do you do when the computer refuses to work correctly? It depends on your personal skill and comfort level. You might kick it, but that probably won’t help.
The first part of this column summarizes what a more experienced user might do. The second part shows sources of outside help. This advice is being drawn from the April 6, 2004 issue of PC Magazine, starting on page 76.
By the way, PC Magazine is an exceptionally good source for educating yourself about computers and programs. Its only problem is it is usually written for readers above the novice level. I have read it for years and find it invaluable in keeping up with the technology. Also, the “Dummies” books are very good for novices and the more skilled alike.
Now for the first part. I’ll list the steps one can take, in order, without too much explanation, for brevity’s sake. 1) Reboot the computer (clears the memory and resets everything). 2) Check all cable connections. Make sure they are fully plugged in (they can get loose now and then). 3) Update the operating system (Windows). 4) Open the computer and make sure that all expansion boards and the memory boards are fully seated in their sockets (watch the static electricity—keep yourself grounded. If you don’t know what I mean, don’t follow this step). 5) For Windows XP and ME, do a system restore (rolls the computer back to an earlier configuration that worked). 6) If you recently updated any drivers, that may be the problem. Uninstall the recent changes and reinstall an older driver that did work. 7) Try to isolate where and when the problem occurs. It’s a good clue to the cause. 8) Check for IRQ (interrupt requests) conflicts by using Device Manager (check your manual for instructions).
If the foregoing doesn’t help, it may be time to ask for outside help. That leads us to Part 2, sources of outside help. The list of web sites that follows is a condensed list from PC Magazine: first try www.dougknox.com (ultra-reliable tips); then www.annoyances.org (look for the articles by the site’s staff, use their search engine); for Windows NT/2000/XP try www.jsiinc.com ; and of course, Microsoft’s own site www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone for Windows XP. The magazine article shows more but these appear to be the best to me. (I have not tried them yet.) These web sites are free.
There are fee based web sites that give more personal help. The best site, according to PC Magazine, is www.pcpinpoint.com , at $49.95 a year per computer. I believe this allows unlimited use, but I have not tried this site either.
The web sites mentioned above all have one failing; you must help in finding and correcting the problem. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, or are unsuccessful at it, your next move is to bring in a trained person to fix your problem. You could take your computer into a computer shop and leave it (a pain), or you could call someone to come out to your home. There are few who do this but we have one good one “right here in River City” so to speak. Call Jamey Lewis at 300-1288. My reports say he does excellent work, and he is local. Happy computing!
