Computer Garage: Tutorial and basic guide for computer repairs and troubleshooting

Troubleshooting errors.

2008-08-07T23:00:00.000+08:00

If your diagnostic utility reports any errors, turn off your PC and remove all but one stick of RAM. Re-run the memory diagnostic for a while with each DIMM by itself until you’ve isolated the module with a problem. Try the troubleshooting solutions in the section below, as applicable. If you have access to another PC that uses the same type of RAM, put your suspect memory in it and run Memtest86 on that computer. If no errors surface, the RAM might be incompatible with the memory controller in the original motherboard’s chipset (for Intel-based PCs) or in the processor (for AMD Athlon 64, X2, Sempron, and FX-based computers). If a DIMM causes errors consistently or intermittently on both PCs, you can bet it’s defective in some way. Contact the reseller or manufacturer about replacing it or getting a refund. Lapses Of Memory Sometimes bad things happen with good RAM. Here’s a list of common problems and possible fixes.

Problem: Errors start only after the PC has been running for a few minutes or during heavy workloads.

Solution: Check that the PC’s fans are all running and that there is decent airflow over the RAM and other devices. Carefully blow out any dust. Also, verify in the BIOS that the RAM is running at its specified voltage, such as 2.2v.

Problem: Your RAM works with one motherboard, but not another.

Solution: Check the motherboard manufacturer’s site for compatibility with specific brands and model numbers of RAM modules. Note that some motherboards may be compatible with particular sticks of memory only at slower timings (such as a CAS [column address strobe] setting of 4 or 5) or FSB (front side bus)/system bus/Hyper- Transport speeds, such as 667MHz. Timings refer to how often (usually in CPU clock cycles) different operations happen in the RAM, whereas the FSB/system bus/HT speed describes the rate of data transfer between the RAM and the CPU. You may be able to change some or all of these settings in the BIOS. Other boards may require you to slightly increase the voltage to the DIMM slots in order to get the RAM to run stably.

Problem: The RAM is approved for your motherboard, but it’s still causing problems.

Solution: Try different DIMM slot(s). Consult the motherboard’s documentation to determine which slots should work best with the number and size of your RAM module(s).

Problem: You can’t run your RAM in dual channel mode, which allows the CPU to access both sticks simultaneously for a slight performance gain.

Solution: Both the motherboard and processor must support dual channel memory access. For example, a 939- pin Athlon 64 CPU supports dual channel, but a 754-pin Athlon 64 CPU can’t. Also, you must place the pair(s) of DIMMs in particular slots, which are color-coded on some motherboards. Dual channel mode may not work well unless you use identical RAM modules.

Problem: The metal heat spreader covering the module doesn’t touch all the chips.

Solution: Your best option is to send the RAM module back for replacement, if it’s still under warranty. If your warranty coverage has run out, you can try removing and reseating the heat spreader. Buy some double-sided thermal tape from an enthusiast site such as FrozenCPU .com. Next, carefully work off the heat spreader’s clips with a small screwdriver. Remove the metal heat spreader halves, then clean the old tape residue from it and the DIMM’s chips with isopropyl alcohol. If either heat spreader piece is bent, straighten it so that it will make better contact with the chips. Apply new thermal tape to the heat spreader halves, then attach them to the RAM module in the correct positions. Squeeze the spreader halves firmly over each pair of chips to help the thermal tape adhere, then reattach the spreader’s clips.

Basic Troubleshooting Firewalls

2008-08-07T22:55:00.000+08:00

Keeping safe online can be explained in two easy steps: Keep the bad stuff out and the good stuff in. Firewalls can do both, which makes them a vital piece of software in today’s age of hack attacks, adware, and spyware of every kind. A firewall is like a moat around your computer. It screens inbound and outbound traffic to determine if it should pass, keeping malicious code such as virus attacks from getting into your system and keeping private data from getting out when keylogging programs and other nasty codes try to steal it. Windows XP (Service Pack 2) comes with a built-in firewall called the Windows Firewall. But many notebooks and desktops come preloaded with third-party software from Symantec (www.symantec.com), McAfee (www.mcafee.com), CA (www.ca.com), Zone Labs (www.zonelabs.com), and others. To see which firewall you have (or whether you have one at all), click Start and All Programs and look for the vendor’s name.

When the firewall stops working, so does your Internet connection or even your whole computer. But there are ways to fix it, and most of them are simple. Who’s At Fault? First things first. Before you get started, you need to know what’s truly causing your problem. Is it your firewall? Your ISP (Internet service provider)? Your phone line? The best way to determine if your firewall is playing tricks on you is to turn it off and see if your problem persists. If the problem disappears, you know what the culprit is. If the problem persists, remember that many things can prevent you from viewing a Web site, sending or receiving email, using a chat program, streaming a movie, or sending photos to Flickr (www.flickr.com) or My- Space (www.myspace.com), all of which are tasks governed by firewalls because they involve the transmission of data over the Internet. For instance, if you can’t view a Web site, the problem could be the settings in your Web browser or a problem on the Web site itself. Some Web sites use ActiveX and JavaScript types of code that give a Web page advanced features but also give hackers a way to exploit your computer which your browser may block for safety. (To check your security settings in Internet Explorer, including your ActiveX and JavaScript settings, click Tools, Internet Options, and Security.) The Nitty Gritty If you think your firewall is at fault, try the steps below to fix the most common problems. If you don’t find what you need, try your software’s users guide, Web site, or support line, since most firewall problems are well-known to the companies that make them.

Problem: I can’t send or receive data on my computer.

Solution: A firewall keeps the bad stuff out and the good stuff in, but sometimes it can keep programs you need from sending and receiving the data they need to function. In that case, the program is said to be “blocked.” Often you’ll see a pop-up window explaining this and prompting you to unblock the program or continue to block it. For instance, if Windows Firewall has blocked a program, it will show you a message reading, “To help protect your computer, Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this program.” The message has three buttons: Keep Blocking, Unblock, and Ask Me Later. If you know and trust the program that’s trying to send or receive data, just click the Unblock button, and the problem is solved. (NOTE: The Windows Firewall only blocks incoming data. Only third-party firewalls, such as the firewall in Symantec’s Norton Internet Security or McAfee’s Internet Security Suite, will block data from leaving your computer as well as invading it.)

Problem: I need to unblock a program, but I’m not prompted to do so.

Solution: Most firewalls will show you an alert when a program tries to send or receive data over the Internet, prompting you to block the program, unblock it, or defer your decision. If you don’t see an alert, you’ll have to unblock the program directly. The procedure varies slightly from program to program, but it’s largely the same. For instance, to unblock a program using the firewall in Norton Internet Security, look for the Norton icon in the System Tray (the set of icons in the bottom-right corner of your screen, next to the clock). The icon, which differs slightly from version to version, looks like a globe combined with a grid. When you’ve found the icon, double-click it to open the Norton control panel. Next, click Personal Firewall and then Configure. Click the Programs tab. In the Manual Program Control section, Click Add and then browse to the program you’d like to add. (Most programs can be found in C:\Program Files, the default location for Windows software.) From there, just follow the prompts to return to the Desktop and reboot your system.

Problem: I can’t print to a networked printer or access documents on another computer.

Solution: Sometimes your firewall will keep you from using a network resource, such as a printer or a document store, on your small or home office network. If your company gave you the computer and the IT department installed your network and firewall, it’s best to let someone from your company resolve this problem. You’re not passing the buck; you’re just being careful because you might change a setting that unwittingly opens your corporate network to attack. If you’re using your own network and have more leeway to alter your software’s settings, you can fix the problem fairly quickly. If you’re using the built-in Windows Firewall, which is the software most likely to block a printer or file share, open the Windows Security Center by clicking Start and Run and typing Wscui.cpl in the Open box. Then click OK. In the Windows Security Center window, click the Windows Firewall link at the bottom, choose the Exceptions tab, and select the File and Printer Sharing option from the Programs And Services list. Click OK and close the Security Center window and reboot your computer. This will give you access to shares that were blocked, but there’s a catch: Using the File And Printer Sharing exception on any computer that’s directly connected to the Internet can give hackers access to the shared documents on your network. To guard against this, you can double-click the File And Printer Sharing option in the Programs And Services menu and click the Change Scope button in the Edit a Service dialog box. In the Change Scope dialog box, make sure that My network (subnet) only is checked and follow the prompts to return to the Desktop and reboot your system. But even that can expose you to unneeded risk. A far better way to fix the problem is to use a third-party firewall that will give you full access to your network, without exposing your machine to the dangers of the wild, wild Web. By Microsoft’s own admission, the Windows Firewall is not designed to give you full protection, merely to add a basic layer of defense to Windows.

Problem: I can’t turn my firewall on.

Solution: Two things will keep you from using your firewall: The first is a faulty installation, which you can often fix quickly. The second is more worrisome. Spyware and other malware can turn off or completely kill your firewall as part of its plan to hijack your system. If you think your firewall did not install properly, uninstall and reinstall it using the directions that came in your software’s users guide (or see the problem below on uninstalling your firewall). On the other hand, if your firewall installed correctly and worked fine until you clicked a suspicious Web site or opened a specious email, use a spyware/adware detector to clean your system. Norton, McAfee, Zone Labs, and LavaSoft (www.lavasoftusa.com) all make well known programs that can remove most but not all malware from your system. You can also contact your firewall vendor to see if it offers a fix. For instance, McAfee’s firewalls can be attacked by spyware that very subtly edits the Windows Registry to disable it. (The Registry is a master database of program settings in nearly all versions of Windows.) It alters the following Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ Winlogon\Notify\Sens- Logn to read as follows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ Winlogon_disable\Notify\ SensLogn In the second key, there’s an extra word (“disable”). Rather than fix it yourself, it’s better to contact your support team because even the smallest change to the Registry can result in disastrous effects. Once you’ve run a spyware tool or a utility from your firewall vendor, you may have to reinstall your firewall because malware can leave it so damaged that you need a fresh copy. If the problem still persists after all these steps, contact your firewall vendor again to seek help.

Problem: My firewall turned off Internet Connection Sharing.

Solution: ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) is a Microsoft program that lets you share one Internet connection among many computers. Some firewalls turn it off when they install, along with connection sharing programs from any vendor. One solution is to repeat the ICS setup. But first check with your firewall vendor; some make tools you can download to reestablish your ICS connection quickly. You can download the tools from the vendors’ Web sites. Also be careful about the effects ICS can have on your firewall. Some vendors note that you can install their firewall on the ICS gateway (that is, the computer that’s directly connected to the Internet) and guard all computers that share its connection from malicious inbound traffic. But if you want to guard against outbound traffic, you’ll have to install the firewall on every ICS computer you want to protect.

Problem: I can’t uninstall my firewall.

Solution: Firewalls can be hard to uninstall. Spyware, adware, and hack attacks can try to alter or remove your firewall from your system, so firewall vendors make the programs stick to it. The best way to remove a firewall is to use the Add Or Remove Programs feature in the Windows Control Panel because it triggers the firewall’s builtin removal process. If the Add Or Remove Programs feature doesn’t work, consult your users guide or vendor’s Web site to see if there are different ways to remove the software. For instance, you can remove certain McAfee programs, including the McAfee Personal Firewall Plus, with a program called the McAfee Removal Tool that you can download from www.mcafee.com.

Problem: I have two firewalls running at once.

Solution: By all means, turn one off. Using more than one firewall does not make your system any safer. It just makes it harder to manage inbound and outbound traffic by setting rules, policies, and exceptions because you now have twice as much work. Most experts suggest you use a third-party product over WinXP’s built-in firewall because the Windows version only protects against malicious inbound traffic. If you’ve unknowingly installed a piece of spyware that begins to send your personal data over the Internet, Windows Firewall has no way of protecting against it. (The firewall in Windows Vista does protect against malicious outbound traffic, but users have to configure the protection themselves because it’s turned off by default.)

Problem: I can’t configure my firewall. All the options and advanced settings are grayed out.

Solution: This is an occasional problem with the Windows Firewall. It means that you’re not logged on to your system as an administrator and don’t have the right permissions to alter sensitive system settings. To fix the problem, log off and then log back on as an administrator. If you’re using a corporate desktop or notebook, your account may not have administrator’s rights, and you’ll have to ask your IT department to do the work for you. (It’s possible your IT group did this to keep you from changing your settings and leaving a hole in the network.) If you can’t alter the advanced settings of firewalls from Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro (www.trendmicro.com), Zone Labs, and others, you should run antispyware and antiadware programs on your system to ensure a hack attack is not the root of your problem.

Problem: I can’t connect to my office VPN.

Solution: A virtual private network lets you send encrypted information through the Internet to your office computers, keeping it safe even though it moves through a highly public set of networks. On occasion, your firewall will conflict with your VPN software, leaving you without a connection to the office. If this happens, contact your help desk or IT department and notify them of the problem. If you alter your firewall or VPN settings, you could unknowingly open a hole in your corporate network.

Problem: I keep losing my Internet connection.

Solution: If you can’t keep a connection, check your modem, phone line, or any software that governs your connection. But there’s a chance your firewall is the nosy culprit. Some ISPs save money by disconnecting idle users to keep them from chewing up modems and bandwidth. To determine if a user is idle, the ISP sends a heartbeat message a small packet of data to test your connection to your machine. Some firewalls anti block heartbeats because they tend to use protocols that hackers also exploit. Zone Labs is one such firewall, but you can instruct it to permit heartbeats. If and when your ISP cuts your connection, open the Zone Labs Log Viewer by clicking the Alerts & Logs button in the Zone Labs interface. Then peruse the list to find the disconnection alert and note the Source DNS in the Entry Detail field. (DNS stands for Domain Name System, the method computers use to translate domains or Web site names into a set of numbers, and vice versa. Once you’ve found the DNS information a series of four numbers separated by dots add it to Zone Labs’ Trusted Zone. If you can’t find the DNS number you need, call your ISP to ask for the DNS number of the server that sends out heartbeats. Tell them why you need it, too, since it’s not every day that someone asks them for private network data. If you keep your firewall in good working order, you can trust it to keep you safe from the threats that mar an otherwise wonderful Web.

Basic Troubleshooting Email

2008-08-07T22:51:00.002+08:00

Email has become as much a part of everyday life as cell phones, Google, and Paris Hilton news. There are a wealth of options for those who want to swap messages with friends, family, and colleagues email applications range from free, open-source options to simple Web-based types, such as Hotmail (www .hotmail.com) or Yahoo! Mail (mail.yahoo.com), to the most ubiquitous of all applications, Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, or OE, (www.microsoft.com). Like any software, email programs have their glitches in terms of message handling, security, storage space, and general operations. Fortunately, they also tend to be fairly straightforward applications, which can make troubleshooting easier. Working Status The first step in identifying potential problems is to understand the version of the email program you are using and how it operates normally. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be using Outlook Express. To identify the specifications of Outlook Express on a system, navigate to the Help drop-down menu and click About Microsoft Outlook Express. A pop-up box will come up with the version of the application. (In our case, we’re using Outlook Express 6.) Normal operation of any email program, including Outlook Express, is fairly straightforward: Emails can be written in a message field and sent without difficulty or received in a timely fashion and formatted in such a way that reading it all is just a matter of scrolling down the page. More high-level functionality includes making sure an address book is working or that identity protections are in place, but again, problems in those spheres will result in an error message. In other words, no OE system messages tends to mean that all is well. Problem set although it would be nice to zip through life with no error messages ever, Outlook Express is an application and, like any piece of software, can have difficulty in combining with specific system settings or in transferring or storing data. Here are some common problems in OE and how to get rid of them quickly. Message Handling

Problem: Server error messages come up when I send and receive mail.

Solution: There are a number of messages that might crop up related to the server while it is trying to deliver or send mail. These might include: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it. The server could not be found. There are several areas to check when the server is involved, with the first being firewalls. Often, firewalls are configured to restrict the type of network traffic that it considers suspicious or to only allow certain applications to send information over the network. If using a firewall from McAfee (www.mcafee.com) or Symantec (www.symantec.com), you’ll have to check the application permissions. For example, with McAfee, that would involve right-clicking the McAfee icon, navigating to Personal Firewall, and then clicking Internet Applications. What will appear is a Permissions list of the applications that are allowed to access the Internet. If Outlook Express is not checked for approval, select it and then restart the computer. (NOTE: Keep in mind that with some troubleshooting fixes, it might be necessary to temporarily turn off security features on the system. If this is the case, be sure to put security measures back into place or restart the computer, so it can boot up with the proper security settings after mending the problem.)

Another common error message is: Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. What might be happening is that server is timing out before messages can be sent. Basically, the connection opens for a certain amount of time, but the server isn’t leaving the window open long enough. To fix the problem, go to the Tools menu in OE and click Accounts and then the Mail tab to view the list of accounts. Highlight the POP3 account in question and click the Advanced tab to view your current settings. Microsoft recommends gradually increasing the timeout setting using the slider until you find the right setting for your machine.

Problem: You receive an error when opening messages or sending to people in your address book.

Solution: When there is a problem in message handling that isn’t server related, error messages may include: There was an error opening this message. The Address Book failed to load. Outlook Express is incorrectly configured, please re-install. Some of the recipients for this message are not valid. Please verify the names. If the message in question contains an attachment, the first step would be to ask the sender to retry without the attachment. The system, and particularly the firewall, could be blocking the message because it finds it suspicious. With all three error messages, a fix might be to remove and reinstall Outlook Express. If using Windows XP Home, click Start and Run. In the text box, type appwiz.cpl and click OK, which will cause a screen to appear with Add Or Remove Programs. Navigate to Add/Remove Windows Components. In the list that appears, click to clear the Outlook Express checkbox and click Next. Outlook Express will be removed. Run through the same process to add it back in: Go to Start, Run, type appwiz.cpl, and instead of removing Outlook Express, check the box, click Next, and it will be added back in. Once the installation is done, click Finish. This will reinstall the application using default settings and hopefully reset the application and its components. (NOTE: Don’t attempt to remove Outlook Express from a computer running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, which relies on the email application to run properly. For example, automated messages meant for managing the server could be stop-ped if Outlook Express is reinstalled.)

Problem: An attachment you received has been blocked.

Solution: If the sender attempts to resend a previously blocked message without the attachment, and it gets through fine, the difficulty might be that Outlook Express is blocking the attachment. To get it through, go to Tools in the OE menu bar and select Options. In the Options window, select the Security tab and uncheck the option for Do Not Allow Attachments To Be Saved Or Opened That Could Potentially Be A Virus and click OK. Before doing this, make sure that virus protection is in place, however. After you receive the attachment, change your settings back to ensure no unwelcome attachments make it through. In a workplace, changing attachment security settings is not possible because Microsoft administrators consider some file types to be too dangerous to let onto a system. These might include file extensions such as .EXE, .CMD, and .MSP.

Problem: The messages in my Inbox aren’t in the order I want them.

Solution: Outlook Express gives you the option to select how you would like to arrange the messages within your folders. To change the arrangement of your messages, click Tools and Sort By. In the resulting drop-down menu you can choose to arrange your messages by Priority, Attachment, Flag, From, Subject, or Received. At the bottom of the drop-down menu, you can also select Sort Ascending or Sort Descending for each of the categories. So, for example, if you want your messages to display with the most recent messages at the top of your Inbox, click Tools, Sort By, and Received and select the Sort Descending option. This menu can also be helpful if you want to find a specific email or group of emails. You an easily select the criteria you’re looking for, such as From or Subject, to find the email in question and then change your settings back to what you prefer as the default once you’ve identified the email you need. Storage Challenges

Problem: You receive a message notifying you that your storage limit has been reached.

Solution: Many email programs are building more storage into the system for users, but large attachments, such as photos and video, can still bring a mailbox to its limit. After receiving a message about storage limitations, the easiest tactic is to do some digital housecleaning. Delete some messages, focusing specifically on those that have attachments. Another option is to download attachments to the hard drive, so you can delete the email. To do this, select the message with the attachment, go to the File menu, and select Save Attachments. If the email has more than one attachment, you will have the option to save just one of or all of the attachments. Once that option is chosen, you can save the attachment anywhere, such as on a CD or to the Desktop. General Operations

Problem: My file is too large to be sent over email.

Solution: With the growth of video content, PowerPoint files, and other media-rich applications, it’s increasingly common that large files present a challenge for email users. Whereas photos and images can be sent separately, something such as a PowerPoint presentation can’t be broken down into components. Fortunately, with compression software, it doesn’t have to be. One particularly popular option is WinZip (www.winzip.com), made by Corel. The latest version, 11.0, can be purchased online for $29.95 and has a number of intuitive features. To “stuff” a file and make it smaller for emailing, open the WinZip application, and a screen will appear with options that include New, Wizard, Add, and Extract. The easiest way to Zip a file is to using the WinZip Wizard. When you open WinZip, the Wizard may open automatically. If not, click the Wizard button and select Create A New Zip File when you’re asked What Do You Want To Do?. Click Next and follow the instructions to create your new Zip file. After you’ve saved the file to a folder of your choice, you can attach it to an email as you would any other file and send. Other choices for compression include PKZIP ($29; www.pkware.com), StuffIt Standard ($24.99; www.stuffit.com), and ZipGenius (free; www.zip genius.it).

Problem: Web links don’t work from inside an email message.

Solution: Problems with Web links can occasionally be an issue with the type of browser being used, but more often it’s associated to the way the email program interacts with the browser. One solution might be to download the latest version of your preferred browser, whether it’s Firefox (www .mozilla.com), Internet Explorer, Opera (www.opera.com), or any of the other browser options. Some users don’t keep their browsers up-to-date, and settings that are revamped in Outlook Express can conflict with older versions. Because OE is a Microsoft product, it might be prudent to utilize the company’s newly refreshed IE 7 browser, which you can download at www.microsoft.com/windows/ie. The Web site will guide you through the downloading process. After the installation, make sure that IE is the default browser so that when Web links appear in an email, it will use IE to open them. To do that, select Control Panel from the Start menu, double click Internet Options, and click the Programs tab. In the Default Web Browser section, make sure the Tell Me If Internet Explorer Is Not The Default Web Browser box is checked and click OK. The next time IE is opened, it will ask to be the default browser. Click Yes. Sources Of Help For many general questions, including those related to security, storage, or message routing, answers may be found by accessing OE’s Help function, which can be accessed by pressing F1 or by clicking Contents And Index in the Help menu. You can access Help files by using the Content, Index, and Search tabs. The Contents tab is organized by subject, and the Index tab contains an alphabetical list of subjects. If you are unsure where to start, use the Search SOFTWARE Email If you use Internet Explorer as your browser, setting it as your default browser in Internet Properties will help to ensure that links within your emails will open properly. Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 155 tab to help you narrow down topics that might be helpful. Another choice if problems keep occurring with Outlook Express is to consider buying repair and recovery utilities, available though the Microsoft site and developed by companies such as ScanDBX (www.scandbx.com), DataNumen (www.datanumen.com), Recovery ToolBox (www.oemailre covery.com), and Accurate Solution (www.accuratesolution.net). The ScanDBX tool, for example, is designed to repair damaged OE files and installations, while DataNumen’s Advanced Outlook Express Repair is geared toward file recovery.

Web Mail In addition to Outlook Express, many users opt to have Web-based accounts as well, either as a supplement to OE, or as their sole email. Providers such as Hotmail or Yahoo! sometimes act as a “junk mailbox” for users who want to limit the amount of spam and e-newsletters that are delivered to their primary accounts. Much more simplified than a fullfeatured application such as Outlook Express, Web mail tends to be fairly stripped down and straightforward. Users can employ tools to limit junk mail, set a different reply-to address for messages, create custom filters that send incoming messages to specific folders, and get alerts on a mobile device whenever there’s a new message. For Hotmail, settings can be tweaked, and troubleshooting can be done by selecting Options from the upper-right corner of the Web page. That will bring up a page with a number of features to access, and the one usually most helpful when there are email difficulties is Mail Display Settings, located under the Mail tab.

Another helpful section can be accessed through the Help link in the lower-right corner of the screen. Click Common Problems With POP Accounts to access subsequent screens to help you identify what the difficulty might be, such as trying to access an MSN email account from behind a corporate firewall. Yahoo! is currently testing a beta version of its forthcoming Webmail, which looks more like Outlook Express than previous iterations. In terms of its current mail application, however, it resembles Hotmail, including having its Options link at the top-right corner of the page. But Yahoo! trumps its online competitor in terms of having more complete troubleshooting information in its Help section, including the opportunity to contact customer care directly. Other email programs, such as Google’s Gmail (www.gmail.com) and Apple’s Mac Mail (www.apple.com), also put their troubleshooting tips into a section called Help and give tips on creating different mail settings as well as fixing any problems that crop up. In general, whether using Outlook Express, a subscription service such as Mac Mail, an account from a local ISP such as Comcast (www.comcast.com), or just a vanilla Web-based app such as Yahoo!, email can be a boon for communication, and in some ways, it doesn’t matter which software you pick.

After all, a message is the same whether sent through Hotmail or Outlook Express. But tapping into the troubleshooting power folded into every application will definitely make sure those messages don’t get lost in the digital ether.

Basic Troubleshooting Browsers

2008-08-07T22:42:00.003+08:00

Stagnant for years, the Web browser is seeing a new wave of excitement crest as major versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox have been released recently. While early browsers were limited to the display of Web pages, modern browsers are more properly thought of as frameworks for viewing and interacting with a variety of sites, including Web-based applications such as email and rich media such as video not just traditional HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) pages. Users are excited about the features and functionality that the new browsers offer, but these updates open the door to a different set of software issues and problems. Over the next few pages, we’ll show you how to fix common kinds of browser errors, as well as how to determine if the problem is really with your Web browser in the first place. We’ll focus on troubleshooting the latest versions of the most popular browsers for Microsoft Windows XP Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 two free programs that control over 90% of market share by most estimates. While we won’t explicitly consider other operating systems, Firefox has versions available for other operating systems, so some of the information presented herein may be applicable to those versions. As well, some of the general tips may be applicable to other browsers, such as Opera and Safari. Product Information Since your browser is a piece of software, you can easily obtain the version number to aid you in your troubleshooting.

To determine your browser version, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Help menu and select About Firefox . .(for Firefox) or About Internet Explorer (for IE 7).

2. In the window that appears, look for the version number immediately under the product name. Earlier versions may have slightly different selections in the Help menu; if so, look for an About option or an option that appears like it. If you don’t see anything like these, you likely don’t have a current version of your browser. Working Status Your browser depends on a stable, unimpeded connection to the Internet. If your browser does not appear to function, it may be your online connection rather than your browser that is actually at fault. If you have current versions of both Firefox and IE installed on your PC and why not, since they’re both free? when one browser isn’t working, start the other one and see if you can reach the Web. If you can’t reach the site you’re trying to reach, then try to reach another big site that will likely be up examples include www.google.com, www.yahoo .com, and www.microsoft.com. If you can reach any site through another browser, you can eliminate the possibility that your Internet connection is malfunctioning. Also, check the network connection icon in the System Tray (the area next to your computer’s clock) to make sure that the network connection is up. Another way to verify your Internet connection is through this simple test: Click the Windows Start button on your Desktop. Select Run . . . In the Run window’s “Open” text box, enter the word command, and then click OK. In the Command window that appears, enter the command ping www.google.com and then press ENTER. (If you get a security check from your firewall, give permission for the connection.)

You should get several lines of text, including a number of lines that say something along the lines of “Reply from 209.73.186.238: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=51.” (The numbers in the response will vary.) If the number after “time” is relatively low for instance,under 100 for most modern connections the problem is not your Internet connection. If you get a response like “Ping request could not find host www.google .com. Please check the name and try again,” try entering the command ping www.yahoo.com. If you get an error with that one as well, then you likely have a bad Internet connection. If you get a set of responses that include “Request timed out” and something like “Reply from 209.73.186.238: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=51” and/or you have a number after “time=” that’s over 200, then this means that your Internet connection may be up, but it may be slow. If this happens with only one site, it indicates a problem with the Web site you’re trying to reach. If you get that kind of result with multiple sites, then the problem is probably with your Internet connection or your Internet service provider not with your browser. To troubleshoot an Internet connection, see “What To Do When . . . You Can’t Go Online”. Problems & Solutions

Problem: Issues with browsers earlier than Firefox 2 and IE 7.

Solution: Upgrade. The latest version of Firefox and IE offer many security and functionality upgrades. If you don’t upgrade, you will not experience the full benefit of the modern Web. If you can’t upgrade to IE 7 (e.g. you have a pre-Windows XP PC), upgrade to the latest version of Firefox. If your PC can’t run either Firefox 2 or IE 7, then you should seriously consider upgrading your PC the security benefits of these browsers make this a great reason to upgrade your PC. The only reason that you shouldn’t switch is if you have certain applications that will not run in Firefox 2 or in IE 7. Examples of this might be a proprietary system at work that works in only one browser. (In general, you should never upgrade a work system without first talking to the appropriate IT professional at your employer.) If you have to use a certain browser version for a particular application, then consider using that browser for only that reason and using the latest version of Firefox or IE for everything else. If you are using IE on a pre-XP system, at the very least, make sure that you have the latest version of IE by using Windows Update.

Problem: Browser won’t start.

Solutions for Internet Explorer: Try each of these steps and, after each, see if IE starts correctly.

1. Reboot. First restart your computer and see if the browser will work after rebooting.

2. Check for malware. Update your antispyware and antivirus software and do complete antivirus and spyware checks on your PC. If malware is found, remove it and then try to start IE. If it starts, the malware was probably causing the issue.

3. Try a different home page. Click the Start button and select Control Panel. (Control Panel may be in the Settings menu.) Select Internet Options. In the window that appears, under the General tab, change the Home Page box to about:blank. Click OK. Try to start IE and browse to another Web site but not your original home page; if it works, the problem is with the home page you are using. Try troubleshooting with the plug-in section below.

4. Clear all cached data. Go to Internet Options as described above. In the General tab, under Browsing History, click Delete. Click Delete Files and then confirm by clicking Yes. Click Delete Cookies and then confirm by clicking Yes. Click Delete History and then confirm by clicking Yes. Click Close and then OK in the primary window. Try to start IE; if it works, you’ve likely solved the problem.

5. Disable unused extensions. Go to Internet Options as described above. On the Programs tab, click the Manage Add-ons . . . button. Disable any add-ons that you don’t use by clicking on the add-on listing and click the Disable radio button. When you have disabled all of the add-ons you don’t use, click OK, and then click OK in the Options window. Try to start IE. If it works, one of the add-ons was the problem. Re-enable each of add-ons in turn by following the steps above, except click the Enable radio button for each. After you enable one, try to start IE. If it fails, then you know that extension was at fault.

6. Use Default Settings. Go to Internet Options as described above. Go to the Advanced tab. Click Restore Advanced Settings. Then click Reset. Confirm that you want to do this by clicking Reset in the window that appears. Click OK and try IE again. 7. Reinstall. If none of these steps work, then reinstall IE

7. First, download the executable at www.microsoft .com/windows/ie /downloads. (If you don’t have another browser installed, use another system to download the executable, then copy it to your primary PC.) Then, if you can, uninstall IE 7. Click the Start button and select Control Panel /Add Or Remove Programs. (Remember, Control Panel may be nested in the Settings menu. If IE 7 came installed with your PC, you may not be able to uninstall it using the Add Or Remove Programs window. If this is the case, then skip this step.) Then, click on the listing for Internet Explorer 7 and click Remove. After clicking through the removal routine, run the IE 7 executable that you downloaded.

Solutions for Firefox: Try each of these steps and, after each, see if Firefox starts correctly.

1. Reboot. First restart your computer and see if the browser will work after rebooting.

2. Check for malware. Update your antispyware and antivirus software and do complete antivirus and spyware checks on your PC. If malware is found, remove it and then try to start Firefox.

3. Try starting in Safe Mode. From the Start/ All Programs (or Programs)/ Mozilla Firefox menu, select Mozilla Firefox (Safe Mode). If you can get Firefox running in Safe Mode, try steps 4 and 5 under the “Problem: A page does not behave correctly . . .” section if that doesn’t help, continue with step 4.

4. Clear all cached data. Click the Start button and select My Computer. Go to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\[Your Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\ Profiles. Under each folder in Profiles, delete the Cache folder. Then go to C:\Documents and Settings\[Your Username]\ Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\ Profiles. Delete the History.dat file from each folder in the Profiles folder. Try to start Firefox.

5. Remove extensions and plugins. Using My Computer as shown in Step 4, delete the contents of the C:\ Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\Extensions but not the folder itself. Delete the contents of the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\Plugins folder but not the folder itself. (If Firefox is installed in a different folder, you will need to change the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox above to correspond to the folder in which you installed Firefox.)

6. Reinstall. If none of these steps work, reinstall Firefox. First, using IE, download the executable at www .mozilla.com. Uninstall Mozilla. Click the Start button and select Control Panel/Add Or Remove Programs. Then click on the listing for Mozilla Firefox and click Remove. After clicking through the removal routine, run the Firefox executable that you downloaded.

Problem: A page does not behave correctly the formatting is messed up or it just doesn’t work properly. If you have a problem with a specific Web page, it is generally a configuration problem, or there may be an incompatibility with the browser you’re using.

Solutions for Internet Explorer:

Try each of these steps in turn and see if it corrects the problem.

1. If you have Firefox installed, try it for the Web site in question. This can allow you to work around the problem if nothing else helps, as some sites work better in Firefox than in IE.

2. Reboot. First restart your computer and see if the browser will work after rebooting.

3. Check for malware. Update your antispyware and antivirus software and do complete antivirus and spyware checks on your PC.

4. Clear all cached data. Follow the cache clearing instructions in the “Browser won’t start” section above.

5. Pop-ups. Select Internet Options from the Tools menu. Then click the Privacy tab. If the Turn On Pop-up Blocker box is unchecked, go to the next step. Otherwise, click the Settings button immediately next to Block Pop-up Windows. In the window that appears, enter the domain of the Web site that you are having a problem with in the Address Of Website To Allow box and then click Add. Click Close, then OK.

6. Reset Security. Click Tools/Internet Options. Click the Security tab. Click on Internet Zone if it’s not already selected. Set the Security Level For This Zone selector to Medium-high. If the Reset All Zones To Default Levels button is active, click it. Click the Privacy tab. If the Security slider is set to a setting higher than Medium, then set it to Medium. Click OK.

7. Upgrade. Make sure that you’re using the latest version by going to win dowsupdate.microsoft .com and downloading the latest updates.

Solutions for Firefox:

Try each of these steps in turn and then try using Firefox to see if the step corrects the problem.

1. If you have IE installed, try it for the Web site in question. This can allow you to work around the problem if nothing else helps, as some sites will not work in Firefox no matter what you do.

2. Reboot. Restart your PC and see if the browser works after rebooting.

3. Check for malware. Update your antispyware and antivirus software and do complete antivirus and spyware checks on your PC.

4. Clear your cache. Select Clear Private Data from the Tools menu. Select Cache and Authenticated Sessions only, and then click OK.

5. Check for updates. Select Tools/ Check For Updates. The window that appears will tell you if there are updates to be downloaded. If there are, follow the instructions in the window and update your Firefox.

6. Popups. Select Tools/Options. . . Then click the Content tab. If the Block Popup Windows box is unchecked, then you are done with this step. Otherwise, click the Exceptions button immediately next to Block Pop-up Windows. In the window that appears, enter the domain of the Web site with which you are having a problem and click Allow. Click Close, and then click OK.

7. Javascript and Java. Select Tools/Options . . . , then click the Content tab. Make sure that the Enable Javascript and Enable Java boxes are checked. Click OK.

8. Accept Cookies. Click Tools/ Options . . . . Then click the Privacy tab. Make sure that the Accept Cookies From Sites box is checked, then click the Exceptions button immediately next to Accept Cookies From Sites. Check the list to see if Firefox is blocking cookies from the problem site. If it is, highlight the listing for the problem site. Click Remove Site. Click Close, then OK.

9. Remove Cookies. Click Tools/ Clear Private Data. Select Cookies only, and then click OK.

Problem: Music, video, or some other media won’t play in a Web site.

Solution:This is almost always a plug-in-related issue. A plug-in (or add-on) is a helper program that extends a browser’s capabilities. The steps to correct a plug-in issue are similar in both IE 7 and Firefox. IE and Firefox will often prompt you with a bar at the top of the window telling you that a plug-in is needed and giving you instructions to install it. If this doesn’t happen, most Web sites indicate what plug-ins are needed to run the site and include a link to download the latest version. Go to the site in question and download the updated plug-in version. Exit your browser, and then install the plug-in. If you still don’t know where to go to install the plug-in, see the Web sites addons.mozilla.org for Firefox and www.ieaddons.com for IE for more information. These sites include links to download and install all of the major plug-ins for the various browsers.

Basic Troubleshooting Antivirus Software.

2008-08-07T22:37:00.000+08:00

If you are using any of the most popular AV (antivirus) software programs, including Norton AntiVirus, McAfee VirusScan, AVG Antivirus, BitDefender, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, F-Secure Anti-Virus, or Trend Micro PC-cillin, and you haven’t already run into problems, chances are, at least statistically speaking, you will soon enough. For most computer users, AV software is the first line of defense from viruses that rampage about, seeking to destroy data or simply make life miserable. AV software detects, identifies, and eliminates computer viruses and other malware that proliferate on the Internet. Life is good when your AV software is working and up-to-date. But when your AV software conflicts with other programs or refuses to remove or isolate a detected culprit, you’ll be tempted to disable the software because it’s not doing the job it was intended to do. AV software can also eat up precious system resources and make your computer lag like a snail, when you want it to work now.

AV software usually works behind the scenes, so there aren’t any obvious signs reporting everything that is happening while the software is doing its job. This is a good thing, because it lets you sit back, relax, and watch your AV software do the job you paid it to do. Virus Updates Windows makes it fairly easy for you to identify the type of AV software your computer is using. The best place to go if you are using Windows XP Home Edition, including Service Pack 2 (if you are still using Service Pack 1, it’s a good idea to run your Windows Update to download Service Pack 2), is the Windows Security Center. The Security Center detects and lists currently installed AV software (including third-party software). The Security Center also works behind the scenes, constantly checking the state of your AV software. To get to the Windows Security Center, click Start and Control Panel. Click the Security Center icon (in the Classic or Category view). The Windows Security Center dialog box opens. Notice the three security essentials: Firewall, Automatic Updates, and Virus Protection. To best protect your computer, Microsoft recommends all three of these security essentials remain on. Click the Virus Protection selection to expand a description of the AV software running on your computer. While the Windows Security Center can detect most types of antivirus software, it does not detect all antivirus types, as some antivirus programs do not report their status to Windows. If you are sure that your computer is running AV software and the Security Center is not detecting it, check with the AV software manufacturer to see if the software is supported. If the software is supported, you may need to uninstall and reinstall your AV software and update Windows to allow Windows to report your AV software properly. The Security Center isn’t the only place to find out what type of AV software you are using. Click Start and All Programs (or Programs if Windows is using the classic Start menu). In the list of programs, look for the word “antivirus.” (Refer to the first paragraph of this article for the names of some common AV software names.) One other way to find out what antivirus program you’re running is to hover your mouse pointer over the icons in the Taskbar’s System Tray area (the area in the bottom right of your screen that includes the system clock) and wait a brief moment for a yellow description box to appear. The box should include the word “antivirus.” Once you’ve found the antivirus program, right-click the icon, and a Properties menu appears. The menu should include choices to open the AV software or to activate the program options. AV software from most major vendors will download and apply updates, also known as virus definition files, on a regular basis. These updates are necessary to protect your computer from new threats that evolve on the World Wide Web.

Most computer manufacturers include a trial version of AV software on a new computer. And if you like the software you are using, you can renew (on an annual subscription basis) the software when the trial period expires. Identifying Problems Even if you have antivirus software installed on your PC, it doesn’t always mean it is functioning properly or getting regular updates from the Internet. The Windows Security Center makes it easy for you to verify that your AV software is functioning as it should be. To verify that your AV software is functioning properly, click Start and Control Panel. Click Security Center (in the Classic or Category view). The Windows Security Center dialog box opens. Check the Virus Protection category. If it’s shaded blue and includes a green light and the word ON, your AV software is reporting that it is up-to-date and that virus scanning is on. The Security Center will also report the name of the software your computer is running. If the Virus Protection category is shaded red, your virus protection is turned off. If this is the case on your computer, click the Recommendations button and follow the on-screen instructions. You can either turn on your installed AV software or obtain another antivirus program. If the status in the Security Center indicates that the antivirus program on your computer needs attention, but you know that it is installed and functioning correctly, you can override the Security Center’s monitoring by clicking the Recommendations button in the Virus Protection section (should be shaded red). Click the checkbox marked I Have An Antivirus Program That I’ll Monitor Myself. If you choose this option, be advised that Windows will not send any alerts indicating that the AV software is out of date. If you prefer to have Windows alert you (or not alert you) about your antivirus program, you can also modify the Alert Settings in the Windows Security Center. If you modify these settings, you are either telling Windows to stop alerting you altogether about the status of your AV software or you want Windows to alert you if your computer is at risk. To modify the Alert Settings, in the Resources section on the left side of the Security Center dialog box, click the last link in the list titled Change The Way The Security Center Alerts Me. Click the Virus Protection checkbox to have Windows alert you if your computer may be at risk because of your AV software settings. Uncheck the checkbox if you do not want Windows to alert you about your AV software. Common Problems & Solutions There are literally dozens of problems that can happen to AV software, and most are specific to the program you have installed. We’ve identified a few of the more general problems and outlined their solutions.

Problem: My AV software is conflicting with other programs.

Solution: It happens all the time. You are trying to install a program and you receive an error related to your AV software, and the installation stops. Or perhaps you have installed a program and all of a sudden that program stops responding, or your AV software stops working. AV software is powerful, and it can easily conflict with other software programs, including Office applications, drivers, and even Windows itself. To avoid further conflict, temporarily disable your AV software. When the AV software is disabled, you can finish installing your other program (or reinstall if necessary) or uninstall the program causing the conflict. Most AV software programs can be disabled by right-clicking the AV program icon on the Taskbar and selecting Disable from the menu. Just be sure to turn your AV program back on once you’re done installing or reinstalling the applications. You can also try running your AV software updates to check for a new version. Sometimes the manufacturer will discover a bug, so it updates the software to include the fixes for those bugs, which might resolve the conflict you are experiencing.

Problem: I am running two AV software programs on the same computer, but I’m still getting virus and malware alerts.

Solution: Most AV software manufacturers admit that their software isn’t 100% bulletproof. In other words, certain malicious code types can bypass some signature- and heuristic-based technology. Although it’s not recommended, you may be tempted to run two antivirus programs on the same PC. If you want to do this, be aware that there’s a difference between an AV monitor and an AV on-demand scanner. An AV monitor is the part of AV software that constantly checks files before they are executed. An AV on-demand scanner is the part of AV software that runs on a scheduled basis, checking all files for viruses. If you have two antivirus programs installed on the same computer, you shouldn’t run two AV monitors at the same time. AV monitors wire themselves deep into Windows and scan files before they load for execution. If two AV monitors are running simultaneously, they can interfere with each other, causing the computer to hang or slow down. The solution here is to disable one of the AV monitors. For most AV software, this is accomplished by right-clicking the Taskbar icon and then choosing to disable the AV monitor (for example, if you are using Norton AntiVirus, choose Disable Auto-Protect). Disabling the AV monitor does not mean you are disabling the entire AV solution; you’re only disabling the part that automatically scans files before they are executed.

Problem: My AV software has flagged something as potentially dangerous, but it can’t isolate or remove it.

Solution: As we’ve said before, not every AV program is bulletproof. Sometimes intelligent or brand new viruses can squeeze into your computer before your AV software gets a chance to automatically update itself with the latest virus definitions. Chances are your computer has contracted a virus, and your AV software does not know how to handle it. While the software detects suspicious activity, it needs the proper virus definition file to rid your system of what it has contracted. There are several possible solutions to this problem. The first thing you should do is manually update your virus definition files. Along with automatic updating, any good AV software will include an option to manually update the latest virus definition files. When you open Norton AntiVirus 2006, for example, there’s an option on the upper left of the screen to run a Live Update. This update will check for the latest virus definition files, as well as the latest Symantec products and components you have installed. After the latest virus definition files have been downloaded, run a full system scan on your computer to see if your AV software eliminates the culprit it found. If the AV software still fails to remove the flagged file or files (and you are already infected), or if the file your AV program identified is not a virus but is, for example, a worm, Trojan, or backdoor file, the file will most likely not be disinfected and will need to be removed by a program that deals with these types of culprits. Because viruses and other malicious code are becoming smarter, AV software manufacturers are continually developing softwarebased removal tools that do the tedious job of removing infections for you. Removal tools aid you in repairing the damage that may already be done. Check your AV software manufacturer’s Web site for a removal tool section. The AV program will also frequently tell you the name of the malicious program it found, even if it can’t remove it. Try entering the name of the malicious program into a search tool such as Google (www.google.com) to find a removal tool available online. If the flagged file still shows up, it could be that the infected file is one Windows is using. Make sure you shut down every program (other than your AV software) before you run a full scan on your system. If this fails to remove the virus, Windows will have to be run in Safe Mode, or at least be running in a minimum configuration to get rid of the virus. To get into Safe Mode, reboot your computer and watch the on-screen messages. You’ll be given a specific key to press to enter Safe Mode. Press the key when prompted. Some types of viruses automatically start on boot up and cannot be cleaned because the infected files are being used by the computer. Removing these types of viruses requires special procedures; consult your AV software manufacturer’s Web site for specific instructions on how to do this. A word of caution: This usually requires editing the Registry, so be sure to follow your manufacturer’s details explicitly.

Problem: My AV software is using too many of my system resources.

Solution: Some AV software programs are known to drag a computer down because they are resource hogs. It’s no fun when you expect good performance from your computer and the one program that you don’t want to care about actually bothers you. Some antivirus programs take more system resources to run than others, but sometimes your system may be lending itself to the problem. Verify that your system meets the minimum system requirements of the AV software. If you can’t find the information on the software packaging or instruction manual, you can usually find the same information on the manufacturer’s Web site. Be aware that system requirements typically increase with newer versions. Perhaps your hard drive is the cause of the problem. An almost-full hard drive will slow down any system. You should free up as much hard drive space as possible by removing unnecessary programs, deleting temporary files, and defragmenting your hard drive. You can use the built-in Windows Defragmenter or third-party software such as Diskeeper 2007 Home (www.diskeeper.com). You should also scan your hard drive for possible corruption. A hard drive with bad sectors will throw any program out of kilter. You also may want to consider buying more RAM. Adding more memory (make sure you don’t exceed your system’s capacity) can improve the performance of all your programs. As a last resort, if speed is your No. 1 priority and you can part with the AV software that is slowing you down, investigate other options that may not be so taxing on your system. A few of the lighter products available include those from BitDefender (www.bitdefender.com), Kaspersky (www.kaspersky.com), and F-Secure (www.f-secure.com).

Basic Troubleshooting External Storage

2008-08-07T22:15:00.003+08:00

The large storage capacity and portability of external hard drives and flash drives make external storage an extremely convenient way to back up, transport, and swap files. Many of us now rely solely on external storage to back up our internal hard drive or to transport multimedia libraries on our key chain. However, when the external storage device you’ve come to depend on is operating poorly or not at all, it can be frustrating and inconvenient especially if the drive contains important work documents or the entire contents of your hard drive. The following troubleshooting tips can help you restore and improve your external storage drive’s swapping and storing capabilities. Malfunction Junction When troubleshooting an external hard drive or flash drive, it’s wise to search the Internet for known incompatibilities relevant to your device and to visit the manufacturer’s Web site to make certain you don’t need any special software or drivers. To find the appropriate download, you need to know the drive’s name, model number, or serial number and its storage capacity. Typically, external hard drives display this identification above the bar code on the bottom of the drive, and flash drives include a name and model number in the accompanying packaging or user’s guide. Operating systems created after Windows 98 don’t require you to install any drivers to recognize external storage drives. Therefore, you can trace the majority of detection problems to a misconnection or incorrectly configured port. If you’re experiencing sluggish file transfer and drive access, the problem is more likely because of inadequate USB or FireWire hardware within your computer. While you can resolve both detection and slow drive problems, an external hard drive that exhibits grinding noises or extremely hot running temperatures may be on its last legs and you should remove data from the drive as soon as possible. The Computer Isn’t Detecting My External Drive

Problem: My external storage device isn’t listed in My Computer.

Solution: Partially connected USB or FireWire connectors (or devices that are inadvertently unplugged) are a common cause of undetected drives. The plug may appear firmly seated, but you should disconnect and reconnect the USB or FireWire connector to ensure the drive is plugged in. If your external storage drive connects to a USB or FireWire hub, ensure the hub has power and that its connector is plugged into the computer. Note that some external storage devices work poorly or not at all when connected to a hub; try connecting the drive directly to a port on the computer. If the drive still isn’t detected, test an external hard drive’s cable by switching it with another USB or FireWire cable.

Problem: My external storage device is connected but not recognized by Windows.

Solution: If you use an external hard drive, ensure the AC power cord and any subsequently connected power strip securely plugs into the power outlet and that both are switched on. Eliminate the port as the source of the problem by connecting your flash drive or external hard drive to another port. If the external storage isn’t recognized in another port, open Device Manger to determine if your port or drive has a system conflict. Select the Start button, Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click System, select the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button. Click the plus sign (+) next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers for a drive that connects via USB and the plus sign next to IEEE1394 Bus Host Controllers for a Fire- Wire connected drive. A yellow exclamation point signifies the port has a driver conflict, and a red “X” indicates the port has been disabled. Right-click and select Enable to reopen a disabled port. To resolve a port conflict, right-click and choose Uninstall for each controller until all the USB or IEEE 1394 Controllers are removed. After you uninstall each controller, restart your computer and it will reinstall the proper Bus Host Controllers. To check for an external storage conflict, select the Disk Drives heading and find your external storage drive. If the drive has a conflict, you may need to install its included software and proprietary driver for the computer to recognize the device. If the drive still can’t be detected, uninstall the external drive and then reboot the computer to facilitate its detection.

Problem: My flash drive works fine at home, but isn’t recognized on my work computer.

Solution: Many office networks use mapped network drives that override Windows’ drive lettering system for removable devices. Through the Disk Management utility you can manually assign a drive letter to your flash storage device. Right-click the My Computer icon, select Manage, and then double-click Disk Management. Right-click your flash drive and choose Change Drive Letter And Path. Select an unused drive letter from the dropdown list and click OK. You should now see the flash drive listed under that drive letter in My Computer.

Problem: My computer runs Window 98 and it won’t recognize my external storage device.

Solution: To use any USB device on Win98, you need to update your installation of Windows 98 via the Windows Update Web site. Some USB devices have problems in Win98FE (First Edition) and most work better in Win98SE (Second Edition). You’ll also need to install the Win98 driver that came with your accompanying software. FireWire devices only work in Win98SE, and you’ll need to download a FireWire update before you can detect your FireWire drive. I Can’t Read/Write Data To My External Storage Device

Problem: My external storage device shows up in My Computer, but I can’t access or write to the drive.

Solution: The drive may be incorrectly formatted for Windows or have a corrupt partition. Windows 2000 and XP feature a utility called Disk Management that analyzes your external drive and assigns it an Online, Healthy, or Unreadable status. Open the utility by right-clicking the My Computer icon and selecting Manage. Under the Storage heading, double-click Disk Management to view your external storage drive’s status. If it has an Unreadable status, you need to format the drive to remove the corrupt partition or incompatible Windows file format. Before you do, attempt to transfer the drive’s data onto another computer because formatting completely erases the files on the drive. To format, simply right-click the external hard drive and click Format.

Problem: My external storage device works with Windows, but I can’t access it on Macintosh operating systems.

Solution: You drive is most likely formatted in the NTFS (NT file system) file format. To use external storage on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, it must be in the FAT32 (32-bit file allocation table) format. You’ll need to reformat the drive and choose FAT32 when prompted for a file format. To reformat the drive, right-click it in My Computer and click Format. My External Storage Works Slowly

Problem: My new external storage device is USB 2.0 compatible but my files don’t transfer any faster than they did with the USB 1.1 external storage device.

Solution: At 480Mbps (megabits per second), USB 2.0 can transfer up to 40 times faster than USB 1.1. But both your computer and any connected hub must have USB 2.0 hardware to perform the higher-speed transfer. If you’re unsure of the computer’s USB capabilities, look under the Universal Serial Bus Controllers in Device Manager. USB 2.0 is denoted by either Standard Enhanced or USB 2.0 Enhanced. If your computer doesn’t support USB 2.0, you can install an add-on card to take advantage of the greater transfer speed. Note that for Windows to support USB 2.0, you must install Service Pack 2 for WinXP or Service Pack 4 for Win2000.

Problem: My FireWire external storage device transfers slowly.

Solution: FireWire 800 (also known as IEEE 1394b) can only transfer at 800Mbps when used with a 9-pin to 9- pin FireWire cable. A 9-pin to 6-pin cable allows for backward compatibility between older FireWire devices, but it only transfers data at 400Mbps. A major benefit of FireWire devices is that you can connect them in a chain, meaning you can connect your digital camcorder to your external hard drive and expect both to communicate with your computer. However, the entire FireWire chain shares the same bandwidth, and if multiple devices are active, you can significantly reduce your transfer speed. If you must daisychain FireWire devices, connect the external hard drive to the computer and place the slower FireWire devices at the end of the chain. In this fashion, your external drive’s data won’t have to pass through the slower devices.

Problem: My external storage drive accesses data slowly when it’s full.

Solution: You can improve your external drive’s performance by running Windows’ Disk Defragmenter utility to better organize the files on your drive. Select the Start menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. In the Disk Defragmenter window, select your external drive and then click Analyze. Although Windows may indicate the drive doesn’t need to be defragmented, doing so may still improve its performance. Check Disk (or ScanDisk as it’s known in older versions of Windows) is another helpful utility that locates errors and bad sectors on your drive. Open My Computer and find the icon for your external storage device. Right-click the icon, select Properties, and then click the Tools tab. Click the Check Now button and select Automatically Fix File System Errors and Scan For And Attempt Recovery Of Bad Sectors. During the repair, Check Disk may stop to give you the option to save unrecoverable data. This data is an indecipherable jumble of characters that won’t provide any usable files don’t recover the data and let Check Disk continue the repair. External Drive Produces Errors

Problem: Windows reports my USB or FireWire flash drive is write-protected.

Solution: Some flash drives have a write-protect switch located on the side of the drive that locks data from being written to it. Use a ballpoint pen or small object to unlock the drive’s write-protection. It’s also possible to trigger write-protection by unplugging a drive in the process of writing data. Although it’s typically fine to remove an idle flash drive, the Safely Remove Hardware tool in the taskbar is designed to stop Windows from accessing the drive. You can click this icon, even after the error has occurred, to remove the write-protection from the drive. If the drive is still protected, you may need to connect the flash drive to another port and reboot your computer to reset the flash drive’s settings.

Problem: Windows reports that my external storage is full even when it has more than enough free space.

Solution: If your drive uses the FAT32 file format, Disk Is Full or Not Enough Space error messages can occur when you transfer files larger than 4GB. Although FAT32 can’t work with files over 4GB, the NTFS file format can. Win2000 and XP feature a converter tool that lets you convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS without removing any files from the drive. Before running the converter tool, Windows advises you to back up the drive’s data because an error during the conversion process could corrupt it. Click the Start menu, select Run, type cmd, and then click OK. At the DOS prompt, type convert (drive letter): /fs:ntfs and press Enter. For example, if your external drive’s letter is E, type convert E: /fs:ntfs to change it from FAT32 to NTFS. After you enter the command line, you may be required to enter the drive’s volume name, which will be listed in My Computer next to the external drive’s letter. Past Basic Troubleshooting Most external hard drive and flash drive manufacturers maintain substantial online databases that can help you resolve difficulties. If you experience a problem we didn’t have room to cover in this article, see if your drive’s manufacturer covers the problem online. Should you need to call the manufacturer’s tech support line, have your product identification handy and outline any steps you’ve already taken to solve the problem. This information will not only help expedite the troubleshooting process, but it will also provide the tech support agent a better understanding of your problem.

Basic Troubleshooting Speakers

2008-08-07T22:11:00.002+08:00

After downloading a new track from your favorite online music store, you’re ready to jam. Much to your disappointment, you discover there’s something wrong with your computer’s speakers. You can’t hear a thing, even though the program you’re using to play the track appears to be outputting sound. In this article, we’ll look at some of the things you should check when there is no sound coming from your computer’s speakers. Most laptops have built-in speakers. With a laptop, you also have the option of connecting external speakers. Many laptops have the ability to mute the speakers and adjust volume using hardware buttons on the laptop. If you have a desktop computer, there may be an integrated speaker in the case, but you will need separate, external speakers in order to play music and other audio files. Sometimes, the sound card in your computer, rather than your speakers, causes the audio problems you’re experiencing. If you suspect this is the case, take a look at our articles on troubleshooting sound cards ("You’re Having Audio Problems") and ("Basic Troubleshooting: Audio Cards"). No Sound At All

Problem: You click a link to an audio file on a Web site, but hear nothing.

Solution: Some Web pages open a separate window in order to initiate the audio player. Popup blockers sometimes block this new window from opening. If you have a popup blocker installed, add the Web site you’re accessing to the whitelist to allow all popups. For more information on popup blockers, see “You’re Pestered By Popup Ads”. If you don’t have a popup blocker, or if it’s set to allow all popups from the site you are visiting, make sure your computer has completely dowloaded the audio file you’re trying to listen to. Depending on your Internet connection speed and the size of the file, it could take a few seconds or a few hours to download an audio clip. Finally, check to see if you can hear sound from other applications. Put an audio CD in your computer’s CDROM drive and play the files using an audio player such as Windows Media Player. If you’re able to hear sounds from other applications, make sure you have the appropriate software plug-in to listen to the audio file, keeping in mind that some Web sites use very specific audio players.

Problem: Regardless of the application, I cannot hear sound coming from my computer speakers.

Solution 1: Check all of the jacks that connect your speakers to the computer. Disconnect and reconnect the cords to ensure there is a solid connection. Make sure you have the appropriate speaker cords plugged into the appropriate jacks on your computer; look for Line In, Line Out, Microphone, and Joystick specific jacks.

Solution 2: Verify the external speakers have power by looking for a light on the speakers. Plug a different device such as a lamp into the same outlet to make sure that the outlet is live.

Solution 3: If your speakers have an external volume control, turn up the volume past the minimum sound level. If you’re having difficulty hearing sound in a specific program, check to see if the program has volume controls or a mute button that you may need to adjust.

Solution 4: Check the volume settings within Windows XP; navigate to the Control Panel and then open Sounds And Audio Devices. In the Sounds And Audio Devices Properties dialog box, make sure the box next to Mute is unchecked. Check other volume settings in this dialog box and click the Speaker Volume button to set the volume level for your speakers. Open the master Volume Control by clicking the Advanced button. In the Volume Control dialog box, make sure that none of the boxes next to Mute are checked.

Solution 5: Make sure the appropriate driver for your sound card is installed. To check for drivers, right click My Computer, select Properties, navigate to the Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager button. In the Device Manager, expand the tree for Sound, Video And Game Controllers. First, verify that the sound card is enabled. If the sound card is disabled, there will be a red X through the device icon in the tree listing. If there is no red X through the sound card icon, right-click the sound card and choose Properties. In the sound card properties dialog box, navigate to the Driver tab. On the Drivers tab, you will see driver information for your sound card. To update the driver for your sound card, click the Update Driver button. A wizard will walk you through the update process. For more information on troubleshooting sound card problems, see "Basic Troubleshooting: Audio Cards".

Problem: I hear audio from a Web site, but it stops abruptly.

Solution: Make sure the audio file has finished downloading; be patient, especially if you are using a dialup modem or are downloading multiple things at once.

Problem: I can hear sound from some applications, but not others.

Solution: Check all settings within the program that will not play sound. Look for any volume control or mute options. You may also want to look into the possibility that the program you are using is having a conflict with your sound card. If necessary, contact the software manufacturer for information on troubleshooting with your sound card. In addition, it never hurts to check the volume settings on the speaker to make sure they are set to appropriate levels. Next, check the volume settings on your computer to ensure they are turned up and not muted. You may need to check the volume settings both in Windows and in your specific audio player. To check volume settings in Windows, click the Start menu, navigate to All Programs, then highlight Accessories, Entertainment, and click Volume Control. In the Volume Control window, make sure all sound levels are set to appropriate levels and not muted.

Problem: I have a multispeaker setup, and I’m only hearing sound from some of the speakers in my setup.

Solution: Check to make sure that your computer is set to use all of your speakers. Navigate to the Control Panel, and double-click Sounds And Audio Devices. Select the Audio tab, and then click the Advanced button under Sound Playback. On the Advanced Audio Properties Speakers tab, choose the speaker setup that most closely resembles your setup. If you change this setting, click Apply, OK, and then OK again to exit the Sounds And Audio Devices Properties dialog box. Also, make sure you have the most current driver available for your sound card.

Problem: I can hear audio from programs on my computer, but I’m unable to hear audio from music CDs that I’ve inserted into my CDROM drive.

Solution: Check the wire that connects your sound card to your system’s CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive to verify it is properly connected. Also, make sure the CD audio isn’t muted and is set to an appropriate level in Volume Settings. Jam Time With a little bit of time, you should figure out what’s preventing your speakers from producing sound. If you suspect that the problem is with your sound card, rather than your speakers, refer to "Basic Troubleshooting: Audio Cards".

Basic Troubleshooting Scanners

2008-08-07T22:04:00.002+08:00

Scanners convert text documents, paper photographs and images, slides and negatives, and even small three-dimensional objects into digital files. Essentially electronic copy machines, most scanners come in three main types: flatbed scanners, sheetfed scanners, and multifunction/ all-in-one devices. A flatbed scanner features a horizontal glass pane, usually in letter or legal size, on which you place a document for scanning. Scanners with an ADF (automatic document feeder; a slanted tray that holds documents for scanning) are sheetfed scanners. A sheetfed scanner may or may not include the flatbed component, and depending on the scanner model, you can place one or more documents to scan in the ADF. Finally, many multifunction or all-in-one machines include scanning capabilities, together with other features such as copying, printing, and faxing.

In addition to the hardware, most scanners come with software for editing images, previewing scans, and setting scan properties. To convert documents into digital text, many scanners include OCR (optical character recognition) software. To identify your scanner’s manufacturer and model information, first check the exterior of the scanner for brand and model labeling. If you cannot locate identifying information on the scanner itself, try the Windows Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Expand the Imaging Devices section to view a list of installed devices, including scanners. Typically, scanner problems are related to one or more of four general areas: a faulty cable or connection, issues with the scanner software settings or the driver, physical characteristics of the document to be scanned, or maintenance/ cleaning issues. The following troubleshooting section discusses typical scanner problems and provides multiple solutions. If none of the suggestions work, contact the scanner manufacturer for assistance in case the scanner needs repairs or replacement. Steps For Troubleshooting Typical Scanner Problems Because most scanner problems have multiple solutions, we list a series of troubleshooting actions for each problem. Try the actions in the order presented, testing after each. If the action taken does not resolve your problem, move on to the next action.

Problem: My computer can’t find the scanner or the scanner doesn’t start scanning.

Solution 1: Check the power supply and cable. Verify that the power light is on and the scanner is ready. Make sure to use the power equipment that came with the scanner. If the power supply is plugged into a power strip or surge protector, try plugging it directly into the wall.

Solution 2: Check the USB cable, if applicable. If your scanner is connected to the computer with a USB cable, use the cable that came with the scanner. If you are using a different USB cable, it should be no more than 6-feet long. Try plugging the USB cable into a different USB port on the PC. If the USB cable is plugged into a USB hub, try connecting the cable directly to the computer. If you have another compatible cable, try replacing the current cable.

Solution 3: Check the SCSI or FireWire cable, if applicable. Some high-capacity scanners use a SCSI or FireWire interface. Use the cable that came with the scanner, and double-check the connections on your computer and the scanner itself. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cables. If you have another compatible cable, try replacing the current cable.

Solution 4: Check the shipping lock. If the scanner has a shipping lock, verify that it is in the unlocked position. The shipping lock prevents carriage damage to the scanner during shipping.

Solution 5: Reset the scanner. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to reset the scanner. If you do not have instructions, disconnect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer. Disconnect the scanner power cable to turn the scanner off. Turn off the computer and wait a couple of minutes. Turn on the computer, reconnect the scanner power cable to turn the scanner on, and reconnect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer.

Solution 6: Update the scanner driver and software. Check for updates to device drivers and new software patches. Install the updates as instructed by the manufacturer.

Solution 7: Check the device driver in the Windows Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Look in the Imaging Devices section for a yellow exclamation mark or red X indicating a problem with the device or driver. If a problem is indicated, right-click the scanner and click Properties. In the Device Status box, look for any messages about problems with the scanner, or click the Troubleshooting button for additional help.

Solution 8: Verify scanning software settings. Most scanning software automatically opens when you attempt to perform a scan. If yours does not, open the software manually. If you don’t know the correct software settings, change the settings to the factory default, or refer to the software’s online help or support information.

Solution 9: Close all open programs and disable antivirus software. If this solves the problem, the antivirus software may be interfering with the scanning software. Check with the antivirus software manufacturer to resolve the conflict.

Solution 10: Try repairing the scanner software. Click Start, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. Select the scanning software and click Change or Repair. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Solution 11: Uninstall and reinstall scanner software. Click Start, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. Select the scanning software and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the software. Reinstall the scanner software using the original installation CD.

Problem: I don’t have enough disk space, or memory errors occur when I use my scanner.

Solution 1: Try scanning to a lower resolution. Most scanners let you scan at different resolutions. Image resolution is measured in dpi (dots per inch), which is sometimes referred to as ppi (pixels per inch). As dpi/ppi increases, so do image quality and file sizes. How you plan to use the scanned image dictates the dpi/ppi level to use. Ideally, you can use the following guidelines for dpi/ppi settings. If your computer is running out of memory or hard drive space, however, try a lower setting. Image for email or CRT (cathode ray tube) display: 75dpi/ppi Image for on-screen LCD display: 200dpi/ppi Text documents and medium quality images for printing: 300dpi /ppi High-quality images for printing: 600dpi/ppi High-quality images for enlarging: 1,200dpi/ppi (may require 100MB or more of drive space)

Solution 2: Reduce memory use. Close all unnecessary applications, such as email and word processing software. You can also reduce the number applications running in the background with the Windows configuration tool. To do this, click Start and Run. In the Open dialogue box, type msconfig and click OK. Select the Startup tab and remove the checks from any applications you do not want your computer to start automatically. If you’re not sure, do not remove the check write down the name of the item and research it later. When you have completed unchecking items, click OK and restart your computer. Windows restarts in the Selective Startup state. If your system does not operate correctly in Selective Startup or you want to return to the previous state, select Normal Startup and restart Windows again.

Solution 3: Increase hard drive space. To up the amount of space available on your computer’s hard drive, start by emptying the Recycle Bin. To do this, right-click the Recycle Bin on the Windows Desktop and click Empty. You can also run the Disk Cleanup utility. To do this, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and Disk Cleanup. Follow the on-screen prompts to select files to remove. You can free additional space by removing applications you do not need. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. For each application you no longer need, select the application and click Remove.

Problem: My ADF is experiencing feed errors and paper jams.

Solution 1: Inspect documents for obstructions. Make sure the documents you are attempting to scan do not have staples, paper clips, binder holes, glued edges, punch holes, tears, or other characteristics that interfere with the ADF.

Solution 2: Check document compatibility. Do not place documents in the feeder that the ADF is not designed to handle, such as multipart forms. If you’re scanning a document that’s not a standard size, check the scanner documentation to verify the sizes it supports.

Solution 3: Confirm ADF installation and document placement. Verify the ADF is installed properly and in the correct position. If you are scanning multiple documents, do not exceed the recommended ADF capacity, and fan the pages prior to placing them in the ADF to separate them.

Solution 4: Work with different types of documents and sizes. If you are scanning pages of different sizes, try scanning only the same size pages at the same time, or scan each page one at a time. If the paper has a glossy or semi-glossy coating, try non-glossy paper.

Solution 5: Clean the ADF. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the ADF assembly. If parts such as pads or rollers appear worn, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for replacing them.

Problem: My scans are blank or of poor quality.

Solution 1: Check ADF document placement. If you are using an ADF, make sure you have placed the documents correctly in the ADF. For example, make sure it is facing up or down, as indicated in the manufacturer’s directions.

Solution 2: Inspect the original document or image. Verify that the original is clear and not distorted or damaged.

Solution 3: Clean the scanner glass. Most manufacturers recommend cleaning with a lint-free cloth and nonabrasive glass cleaner or isopropyl alcohol.

Solution 4: Preview the scan. If available, use your scanning software’s preview feature to verify the scan quality. Adjust software settings to increase sharpness and/or resolution. For color images, use 24-bit output, and for black and white use 256 shades of gray (8-bit grayscale).

Solution 5: Check the scanning software. Verify that photo scanning is not selected for text or line drawings and vice versa.

Solution 6: Check for bleed through. If the original document is two-sided, the information from the reverse side of the document may bleed through. Adjust brightness, contrast, and threshold settings to reduce bleed through.

Solution 7: Reinstall or update the scanner driver. Check the manufacturer’s Web site for an updated driver or reinstall the current driver following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Problem: My scans have vertical lines or stains.

Solution 1: Scan a blank sheet of paper. If the lines or stains continue to appear, clean the scanner components.

Solution 2: Clean the scanner glass. Most manufacturers recommend cleaning with a lint-free cloth and nonabrasive glass cleaner or isopropyl alcohol.

Solution 3: Clean the ADF mechanism. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the ADF assembly. If parts such as pads or rollers appear worn, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for replacing them.

Problem: The scans are clipped, incomplete, or skewed.

Solution 1: Place the image or document correctly. If you are placing the image on a scanning bed, make sure it is positioned correctly. Try turning the image 90 degrees and rescanning.

Solution 2: Check ADF issues. If you are using an ADF, align the page in the sheet guides and do not exceed the ADF sheet capacity. Make sure the sheet guides are not loose or broken. For multi-page scans, especially pages of different sizes, scan one page at a time. If the paper you’re using has a glossy or semi-glossy coating, try non-glossy paper.

Solution 3: Verify your scanner’s software settings. Check whether your scanning software has an automatic cropping feature enabled. Additionally, if the scanning software includes an automatic straightening feature, it may attempt to straighten an image that includes a large graphical design. Turn the feature off and try the scan again. If a page is missing from the scanned document, turn off any scanning software options that automatically remove blank pages.

Problem: The scanned image’s color or brightness is incorrect.

Solution 1: Verify software settings. Check the settings for color and brightness. Adjust as needed, using the preview feature if available.

Solution 2: Move the document. Try rotating the original document 90 degrees in the scanner.

Solution 3: Use default settings. Set the scanner and software to the original factory default settings.

Solution 4: Adjust settings for colored paper. If you are using colored paper, set the output type to black and white. Change the color channel to red, green, or blue to determine the channel that works best with the background. Magazine pictures and postcards might benefit from the descreening option, if available, which reduces undesirable patterns.

Problem: Scanning is very slow.

Solution 1: Change to black and white. Reduce scan time by choosing black-and-white output, if possible.

Solution 2: Adjust resolution and file size. Modify the scanner software to reduce the resolution and decrease the file size. Avoid using the 24-bit color output, if possible. Lower-quality settings generally result in faster scans.

Solution 3: Decrease the image size. Crop or resize the photo to a smaller scan dimension.

Problem: Text created by the OCR software is incorrect.

Solution 1: Ensure software settings are correct. Check the scanner software to be sure you selected a text document for scanning. Also, select a minimum dpi of 300. Even under ideal conditions, the OCR software may not be able to convert all text correctly.

Solution 2: Check the original document. OCR software is less reliable when the quality of the original document is poor.

Solution 3: Reformat the scanned document. Word processors may not be able to read all of the scanned document’s fonts if the font is not available on your PC. Also, the OCR software may not preserve columns, tables, and other formatting. Use the word processor to reformat the document as needed after scanning.

Basic Troubleshooting Multifunction Devices

2008-08-07T21:58:00.002+08:00

MFDs (multifunction devices) are a staple in homes and home offices across the country, and it’s easy to see why. They have dropped dramatically in price over the past couple years, making them affordable for nearly any budget. You can typically print, copy, scan, and maybe even fax with one such machine, which saves valuable space in what might be a crowded work area. Plus, you have to learn how to use only one machine, not two, three, or even four. But the tradeoff is that if something goes wrong with your all-in-one device, you may be stuck without any of its essential components. That’s why knowing a few basic troubleshooting steps can be critical. With so many manufacturers, makes, and models out there, figuring out exactly what is causing a problem may not be an easy task. Still, there are some common issues that affect MFDs across the board. Before you throw up your hands in frustration, inspect your device, noting the manufacturer’s name and the device model number printed on it. Then, gather any of its documentation, take a couple of deep breaths, and read through our troubleshooting solutions. Installation Issues If you have acquired a new MFD and can’t get even the first step installation to go smoothly, it doesn’t mean the machine is a dud. Nor does it mean the machine necessarily won’t work with your PC. Instead, there could be a simple solution.

Problem: I’ve plugged in all the cables and followed the procedures on the installation disc that came with my device, but when I reboot my PC, the computer doesn’t recognize any new hardware.

Solution: When you first receive your new MFD, it’s tempting to pull everything out of the box and start the installation process without taking a look at the documentation. After all, it’s fairly obvious where the cables connect, and we all know how to insert and follow directions on a CD. Don’t give in to that temptation. Your OS (operating system) and your MFD’s manufacturer may have different techniques for installing a new piece of hardware, and they may conflict. For example, suppose you’re running Windows XP, and your MFD includes a driver that’s newer than the one WinXP has listed. WinXP’s installation wizard might “hang” when automatically installing a plug-andplay MFD unit. Instead, first pull out the MFD’s quick installation guide. Pay close attention to whether you should physically connect the device before you insert the installation CD, or whether the steps should be reversed. The instructions may tell you to cancel WinXP’s Found New Hardware wizard, a step you would likely not take if you were following the same procedures you typically do for numerous other types of devices.

Problem: I followed the installation instructions to the letter, but my PC still doesn’t recognize my MFD.

Solution: All-in-one devices may do it all, but they don’t operate in a vacuum. Most components rely in some way upon the interaction they have with your PC. And if you’re using, say, a Windows 98 PC and your device supports only WinXP and later OSes, you could be out of luck. Make sure you read the system requirements for the MFD that you want to buy before you buy it to make sure it’s compatible with your PC. If you’re running the required OS but the two units aren’t communicating properly, the conflict may lie in the connector between the two. Most MFDs these days connect to PCs via USB cables, and some newer ones require they be connected to a USB 2.0 port, or Hi-Speed USB port. If you try to connect the MFD to a USB 1.1 port (more common on older PCs), the device may not work. To determine whether your PC has a USB 2.0 port, go to Start, My Computer. Under System Tasks, select View System Information. In the System Properties dialog box, select the Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager button. Scroll through the list of devices until you see Universal Serial Bus controllers, and click the plus (+) sign to expand it. If the list contains a device that contains a phrase like “USB2 Enhanced” or simply “Enhanced,” you have a USB 2.0 port. Also, keep in mind that some motherboards have both USB 1.1 and 2.0 ports on the same board. If you suspect the trouble is a faulty port or one that has too low a speed, be sure to try to connect the MFD to various ports on your PC.

Problem: I’m trying to install software for my HP ScanJet MFD, but I get the error message: “An unexpected internal error has occurred. Click OK to close the program, and then try one of the following: Restart the program. Restart the PC and then try again. Reinstall the Photo & Imaging Software and try again.”
Solution: Our experience has been that this occurs with a number of HP MFDs. You can ignore the error message and continue to install the software, but the scanning component of your HP device may not work properly. To remedy the situation, we recommend you uninstall the ScanJet software. Then, install all Windows Updates. Next, install the Msjavax86 .exe file from www.hi-teach.com/in fohub/help.htm. When that is complete, temporarily disable any antivirus software you have running. Finally, install the ScanJet software and reboot your computer and don’t forget to turn the antivirus software back on. General Non-working Issues It can be difficult to diagnose why your MFD stops working altogether. Here are some possible scenarios.

Problem: My MFD was functioning just fine, but it has simply stopped working.
Solution: As with any computer peripheral, the first items to examine are the physical connections. Is the power cord firmly in place in both the back of the device and in the wall outlet or power strip? Is the USB cable secure? Is the cable plugged into the proper spot on the PC? Once you’ve eliminated these obvious causes, consider any security features your device may have. Some units have features that prevent, for instance, unauthorized copying. For example, several Epson all-in-ones have security locks, which appear as prompts in the LCD panel. When the lock is on, you are prompted to enter a PIN code. To disable the lock in this type of Epson MFD, insert the Epson installation CD. Open the Security Lock Tool folder and double-click the program in the folder. Select Security Lock Off and click OK. Click OK again.

Problem: One component (fax, scan, copy, print) has stopped working, but the others are still operational.

Solution: MFDs are complicated devices with complex device drivers. If one component “suddenly” stops working, a likely culprit is a device driver. Visit the manufacturer’s Web site to download the latest drivers. Or, you may have recently installed another piece of hardware or software that conflicts with that particular component. Uninstall the new application to see if that fixes the problem.

Problem: The MFD went into power saving mode. When I tried to get it to come back on in full power, it no longer works.

Solution: This is a known issue with some HP MFDs when they are plugged into surge protectors. The device goes into a sleep mode, and when you “wake” it, the unit registers a significantly higher power usage. The surge protector, depending upon the model, may consider this to be a power surge. Doing what good surge protectors do, the surge protector limits the increase in power to the MFD, which may cause some or all components to stop working. Unplug the MFD from the surge protector and plug it directly into a wall outlet. Paper Problems Whether you’re copying or printing, paper problems can really jam you up.

Problem: Paper won’t feed through the machine.

Solution: When paper won’t feed through your MFD, it’s often a hardware issue. Over time, rollers get dirty and either feed paper through askance or not at all. Throw into the mix a paper jam that isn’t fully cleared (it can be difficult to find that last, tiny scrap of paper stuck in your MFD), and the paper feed mechanism may break down. Open the device and check all of the housings and other mechanisms in the unit. Make sure each is clear of any impediment and securely close each one. Also, you may need to clean the rollers. The specific steps will vary, depending upon the unit, but your first step should be to turn off and unplug the device. Rub a lint-free cloth, lightly moistened with pure or distilled water, across the rollers. It’s possible that the problem has nothing to do with the MFD’s hardware and can be fixed by adjusting the paper stack. Make sure paper is straight (no bent or curled edges) and that all the paper in the stack is of the same size and type. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for the number of sheets; a stack that is too large may cause the rollers to balk at loading paper. Also, check the paper settings in the MFD’s software application to make sure they match the paper in the paper tray.

Problem: Paper is feeding through the machine, but the output is entirely blank.

Solution: This is a problem with many possible solutions. The first one is to make sure you follow the manufacturer’s procedures for replacing and properly installing the ink cartridges. If that doesn’t do the trick, check your devices’ software. Have you installed the latest print drivers? Is the MFD selected as the default printer? Are the settings appropriate for the paper size you’re using? If you’ve answered yes to all three questions, it’s time to check the print heads. Many MFDs have utilities that clean print head nozzles. Visit the manufacturer’s Web site for detailed instructions on how to clean the nozzles.

Problem: I’m able to get paper to feed through the machine and ink to print onto the paper, but the output is fuzzy or the print quality is otherwise poor.

Solution: This is another problem that may need multiple troubleshooting steps to solve. First, keep in mind that with regards to print quality, there are two main types of MFDs: inkjet and laser printers. If you are using the wrong paper for your device, the output may be blurred. (Plus, you run the risk of using unnecessarily excessive amounts of ink when you print from an inkjet device onto paper designed for a laser machine or vice versa.) Also, check the software settings and make sure that you have them set for the highest desired quality rather than the Draft or other “low-quality” setting. In addition, most MFDs have some type of check that you can run to verify the device is performing up to par. For example, when you open a Dell unit’s Control Panel software application for many of the Dell allin- one models, press the Maintenance button. You can select from a variety of options, including Clean To Fix Horizontal Streaks, which may improve print quality. Explore your own device’s software cleaning options. If this fails, you may need to clean the unit’s print head nozzles; visit the manufacturer’s Web site for instructions. Scanning & Copying Some MFD users think of their devices as glorified printers, but when you rely on the scanning and copying components, it can be frustrating when they aren’t working as expected.

Problem: The scan output is displaying bizarre characters that weren’t in the original, printed document.

Solution: Scanning software applications can treat files in one of two primary ways: as images or as text documents. When scanning a text document, if you don’t want the option of editing the text of the scanned file, your best option is to scan it as an image file rather than a document. This helps ensure the scanned output is nearly identical to the original file. If you’re scanning the document as a text file, the software’s OCR (optical character recognition) functions kick in. The text is scanned one character at a time, and the OCR software translates the character images into ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), which the computer can read. If the OCR software isn’t up to snuff, you may end up with “mistranslated” text characters. Investing in some high-quality OCR software should solve this problem.

Problem: When I try to scan an image directly into my third-party photo-editing software, it takes what seems like an eternity.

Solution: Many MFDs let you scan images directly into a photo-editing application, which can be convenient if you plan to edit or otherwise manipulate an image. There are some known conflicts, however. For instance, users of some Dell units report that when they try to scan an image into Paint Shop Pro Studio, the system runs slowly or stops running altogether. One work-around is to scan the photo into another application or simply to scan it onto your PC’s hard drive, and then to launch Paint Shop Pro Studio (or similar image-editing application) and open the scanned image from within that application.

Problem: The copying function of my MFD is much too slow.

Solution: Keep in mind that the more complex the original document, the longer it will take to copy. Plus, other variables affect copy speed, some of which you can manipulate to make the copying process proceed more quickly. Check your product’s documentation for instructions on how to determine if the copying function is running in the fastest possible operation mode. Then, time the copying process. If it is significantly lengthier than the manufacturer’s specifications, testing and cleaning the hardware may solve your problem. Wipe down the scanner glass with a cloth lightly covered with glass cleaner, making sure no cleaner drips into the unit. Then, follow your manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the contacts of the ink cartridges. Faxing Faxing has become less popular now that it’s so easy to email files to remote locations, but faxing still has its place. Whether you need to send or receive a fax, it’s critical to be able to rely upon your MFD’s fax capabilities (assuming the unit has them).

Problem: The product’s Web site says I can use my MFD as a fax machine, but there’s no telephone or fax function button. How does this work?

Solution: Some MFDs, even those without telephone handsets, can act as virtual fax machines, provided your MFD is connected to a PC that is equipped with a fax modem. The exact procedure for sending a fax will vary according to the MFD, but here’s one example. Suppose you have an Epson MFD that advertises virtual fax capabilities. Before installing the Epson, make sure your PC already has a fax utility. (WinXP comes bundled with such a program, called Fax Services.) Then, after the MFD installation, place the document on the MFD’s glass “table,” press the keypad numbers on the unit to enter the fax number, and press the Start button. The image is scanned and converted to a fax image.

Problem: I’m trying to fax over a telephone line that is connected to a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem, and there’s too much interference.

Solution: Depending upon your MFD, you may be trying to send a fax through a machine designed to handle analog data, while your DSL setup is delivering digital data to your PC via the phone line. Installing a DSL filter on the line can eliminate unwanted interference. (For detailed instructions on how to do this, read the article "Good Connections: Get The Vibe For Fast, Reliable Internet Access" online at www.smartcom puting.com/2006/internetaccess.)

Basic Troubleshooting Laser Printers

2008-08-07T21:53:00.003+08:00

Laser printers are a complex combination of mechanical, electrical, and chemical components. Without the proper care and operation, a laser printer’s inner workings can suffer and cause printer malfunctions or poor print quality. But you can apply logical troubleshooting to identify many laser printer issues and perform the appropriate laser printer maintenance or software adjustment to resolve many printing problems. The following problems and solutions assume that your printer is responsive (see “What To Do When . . . Your Printer Won’t Print”) and concentrate on correcting the most common laser printer annoyances. Although your first instinct may be to rip open the printer and look for the “smoking gun,” the printer’s outputted pages provide the most solid trail of evidence. If your pages are flawed by smears, smudges, or lines, the problem is most likely within the printer because it’s doubtful a print setting could cause such defects. Laser printer components tend to degrade over a long period of time, so sudden changes in printer performance are more often the result of an improper print configuration in your application or printer settings. For example, if you have trouble printing from Microsoft Word but not from Internet Explorer or Microsoft Excel, a print setting in Word is causing the problem. If you’re unsure what your print problem is, first check your application settings or printer properties for faulty print configurations. A quick inspection of these settings can save you from wasting time and frustration pursuing other solutions.

Wheels Within Wheels To transfer a digital image to paper, laser printers employ a xerographic printing process that requires the near-instantaneous interaction of all its components. The printer shoots a laser beam onto an OPC (optical photoconductor) drum, and the drum’s electrostatic charge attracts a black or colored powder called toner. The toner is then applied to the paper and passed through a fuser that bonds the toner to the paper through heat and pressure. For the process to work perfectly, the toner cartridge, drum, fuser, and paper in the laser printer must meet product specifications. When purchasing any replacement parts, make certain the product is compatible with your laser printer’s model. If you don’t know your model or manufacturer, it’s displayed on the laser printer’s case, many times near the control panel or in the upper-left or right-hand side. To ensure quality, purchase replacement products from the manufacturer because their parts are optimally designed to work with their laser printers. Before opening your laser printer’s case, unplug the printer to prevent electrical shock from the printer’s internal components. If you recently used the laser printer, let it cool down for a few minutes so that the fuser mechanism and photoconductor drum don’t burn your fingers. Don’t touch the OPC drum or the oil on your skin may stick to its surface, get baked onto the roller, and cause smudges on all your future prints. If toner gets on your clothes, wipe it off with a dry cloth and wash your clothes in cold water because hot water will set the toner into the fabric. Laser Printer Paper Problems

Problem: My laser printer reports it has a paper jam, how do I remove it?
Solution: Open the front panel of the printer. Your printer’s users guide, user CD with flash animation, or an illustration on the printer can show you how to do so. Remove the toner cartridge from the printer and hold it horizontal to the floor to keep the toner from spilling. Place it on a disposable sheet of paper to confine any loose toner. Once you find the paper jam, gradually pull the paper out so that you don’t tear the jammed page. If the page can’t be moved, look for illustrations next to the rollers that indicate how to manually advance the paper. Should the paper rip, remove all the torn pieces, or they may jam the printer again.

Problem: The paper is stuck at the rear of the laser printer.

Solution: A paper jam stuck in the printer’s fuser mechanism is often unreachable from the front panel. For this reason, many laser printers include a removable rear panel. You may need to remove a few screws from the panel and the fuser assembly to reach the paper jam. Once the back cover is areas or blank spots.

Solution: The paper manufacturing process can sometimes cause paper to reject toner. Try a different type or brand of paper in the printer. If your paper is stored in a humid environment such as a basement or storage room, check the paper for moist spots on its surface. The paper may not feel damp, but its moisture content may affect how the toner fuses to the paper. Set the PERIPHERALS Laser Printers open, gradually extract the paper from the fuser assembly and pick up any torn pieces inside the printer.

Problem: The laser printer often feeds multiple pages into the printer.

Solution: Laser printer paper comes in many weights (the heavier the weight, the sturdier the paper) and finishes. Generally, laser printers work with a variety of paper types, but check your product specifications to make certain the paper currently in the tray is compatible with your printer. The main paper tray of most laser printers supports paper weights from 20 to 24 pounds, and the manual feed tray is designed to work better with heavier or specialty paper such as transparencies, stationery, and envelopes. Check that the paper isn’t warped or stuck together because this can cause the feeder to grasp multiple pages. Pick up the stack of paper and separate any pieces that may be stuck together by fanning the stack with your thumb. Remove any warped or bent pages and straighten a wavy stack of paper by bending it in the opposite direction. After you insert the paper, slide the back guide and side guides until they fit tightly against the stack of paper but not so firm that they cause the paper to bow. Avoid mixing different paper types in the same tray because their different textures and weights can make it difficult for the printer to grab a single sheet.

Problem: The printer won’t use its manual feed tray.

Solution: Laser printers typically automatically sense paper in the manual feed tray through a trigger switch next to manual tray’s entrance. If the paper or media isn’t firmly inserted into the tray, you may need to set the side guides or insert the paper farther into the tray to activate the trigger switch. If the printer still uses the main tray, change your printer’s properties to always grab media from the manual feed tray. Click Start, Printers And Faxes, and then right-click your printer and choose Properties. Click the Device Settings tab and in the Paper Source drop-down menu choose Manual Feed. Once you finish printing from the manual tray, change the Paper Source back to Main Tray, or it will continue to grab media from the manual tray.

Problem: My laser printer won’t feed transparency sheets, or the transparencies are coming out melted or warped.

Solution: Before you print a transparency, remove the white piece of gripper edge tape because the printer may have trouble grabbing or moving the polished edge through its paper path. Typically, transparencies feed better through the manual tray because it’s designed to handle specialty media. Transparencies have a rough and smooth side, and you should print on the rough, grainy side of the sheet. If your transparencies come out of the laser printer slightly melted or warped, you need to purchase laser printer compatible sheets because unsuitable transparencies may melt and injure your printer’s internal components.

Problem: I’m having trouble feeding envelopes in the laser printer and getting the text to appear in the correct location.

Solution: Each laser printer handles envelopes in a different fashion, and you should follow the laser printer’s guidelines exactly. Typically, the manual feed tray’s paper path is better at handling thicker and smaller media, so it’d be best to insert your envelopes in the manual tray. Any envelopes you use should fall within the type and thickness recommended in your laser printer’s manual and meet general laser printer standards. The heat and pressure applied to the glue during the fusing process could seal unsuitable envelopes. When you insert an envelope, adjust the paper guides so that they will pull the envelope straight through the printer. Remember to reconfigure your printer’s software for the proper envelope size. Once you set the correct media size, use the print preview function to make certain the text is correctly formatted. The Print Quality Is Poor.

Problem: My laser printer prints out pages with randomly faded-out areas or blank spots.

Solution: The paper manufacturing process can sometimes cause paper to reject toner. Try a different type or brand of paper in the printer. If your paper is stored in a humid environment such as a basement or storage room, check the paper for moist spots on its surface. The paper may not feel damp, but its moisture content may affect how the toner fuses to the paper. Set the paper in a dry room or storage container for a week or two before reinserting it in the printer. The toner cartridge may also be running out of toner. Remove the cartridge and shake it horizontally to redistribute the remaining toner. If the blank spots still crop up, it’s time for a new toner cartridge.

Problem: Blank spots or faded-out areas appear in the same spot on every page.

Solution: The photoconductor drum underneath or inside your toner cartridge needs to be cleaned, or it has been damaged. Although the drum may not appear dirty, it could have residual electrical charges that impede the laser printer from applying new charges. Depending on your printer, its software may include an internal cleaning utility that can wipe the OPC drum of both residual toner and electric charges. Various programs label their utilities differently, but your users manual will indicate which program to use and provide step-by-step instructions. You could also purchase laser printer cleaning sheets that feed through the printer to remove toner particles from the internal rollers and drums. If cleaning the print drum doesn’t fix your problem, you may need to purchase a new toner cartridge or OPC drum.

Problem: The entire page prints out black.

Solution: If your printer has a Print Density setting, verify that it has not been turned to the darkest level. If the Print Density is set correctly, your toner cartridge may be damaged or incorrectly installed, causing it to release too much toner. Remove the toner cartridge and make certain it fits within your laser printer’s product specifications. Although a little loose toner is normal, excessive amounts within your printer not only cause bad prints, but will eventually cause the failure of your printer’s mechanical parts. Wipe the internal printer cavity with a dry, lint free cloth and use a brush to clean toner particles off the components. If the toner cartridge needs to be cleaned, follow the manufacturer’s directions in your users manual to both clean and correctly install it.

Problem: The printer only outputs blank pages.

Solution: If the toner cartridge is new, make certain you removed the sealing tape covering the toner cartridge’s opening. If you noticed the laser printer outputting lighter and lighter pages, the toner cartridge may be running out of toner.

Problem: The printer occasionally prints completely blank pages.
Solution: Your laser printer may be configured to separate different print jobs by attaching a blank page after each individual document or image. Click Start, Settings, and Printers And Faxes. Double-click your printer, select the Printer menu, and click Properties. Click the Separator Page button, remove the separator page file, and click OK. If no separator page is selected, you may have extra spaces or blank lines attached to the end of your documents.

Problem: The same object or letter repeats down the length of the page at even intervals.

Solution: This effect is called ghosting, and it usually occurs with images that require a large amount of toner. When the toner cartridge can’t provide sufficient toner, a residual electrical charge can be left on the drum that will repeat down the length of the page. To resolve ghosting, try printing in Landscape mode because the different perspective may distribute the toner better. Click the Start menu, select Settings, and then click Printers And Faxes. Double-click your printer and select Properties. In the laser printer’s Preferences, change its Orientation radio button from Portrait to Landscape. If that doesn’t do the trick, lower the Print Density setting through your printer’s control panel. You could also try inserting a high-quality paper that will better adhere with the toner. In most cases, this condition only affects certain images because their detail requires a sizeable amount of toner.

Problem: My photo prints tend to look mediocre.

Solution: Although standard office paper works great with text, photos have greater detail and look dreadful on anything less than photo-quality laser printer paper. If your photos still look bad using photo-quality paper, make certain the printer is configured to output on photo-quality, glossy, or thick paper. Besides setting the paper quality, make certain your printer is set to output on the highest resolution possible. Each printer’s software is different, but typically you can choose the paper quality and print quality in the printer’s preferences.

Problem: Some images in photo prints are wavy or seem twisted.

Solution: Typically, this happens with photo paper or glossy paper that isn’t intended for use with laser printers. Make certain the paper fits within the printer’s specifications or try using another kind of paper. If the laser printer is outputting a scanned image, the paper on the scanner may have moved during the scanning process.

Problem: There are black horizontal or vertical lines on every page.

Solution: Other than smoke billowing from the printer, consistent black horizontal or vertical lines are the worst problem a laser printer can display. In most cases, the black lines mean the printer’s OPC drum has a scratch that has accumulated baked on toner. Even if you clean off the toner, new toner will collect each time you print a page and result in the same horizontal or vertical line. Because the drum is a cylinder, the lines will appear at equal distances down the page. However, a dirty corona wire can also cause distinct lines and fuzzy areas along the length of the page. Your users manual will indicate the correct way to access the wire, and you can clean the particles off it by running a brush or cotton swab along the wire. Check the printer’s preferences and verify the line isn’t caused by any watermarks or hidden lines in your application. If the line persists and the laser printer is older, consider purchasing a new one because a new toner cartridge or print drum can be almost as expensive as a brand new laser printer.

Problem: The page is full of garbled text or is missing portions of text.

Solution: The cable that connects your laser printer to the computer may be too long or has become damaged. Your printer’s specifications usually list a recommended length; parallel cables generally need to be less than 6 feet, and USB cables should be less than 10 feet long. If you connect the laser printer to a USB hub, your printer may be sharing the same port with another device that’s causing interference. Directly connect the printer to the computer’s USB port. If the printer still outputs rubbish, download and install an updated driver for your printer from the manufacturer’s Web site. The Next Step If your problem isn’t covered in this article, consider searching your manufacturer’s Web site for some model-specific troubleshooting. If the manufacturer doesn’t offer many online solutions, try running the software CD that came with your printer. Many newer laser printers include a CD with troubleshooting advice and flash animations to help you perform basic maintenance. If you’re still unable to fix the problem, call the manufacturer’s tech support for further advice.

Basic Troubleshooting Keyboards

2008-08-07T21:51:00.001+08:00

I magine a computing world without a keyboard. Doesn’t seem plausible, does it? Though they’re often taken for granted, keyboards are vital toward helping us input data into email, Word and Excel documents, Web sites, and more. They also let us quickly open Windows programs, execute commands, control multimedia content, and play games. If you’ve experienced a keyboard related problem, you know computing life seemingly stops until the problem is rectified. Depending on whether you use a notebook or desktop system, your keyboard likely has 80 to 110 keys and uses a traditional QWERTY layout vs. a Dvorak or other layout. Most keyboards connect to a computer via a cable that has a connector that plugs into a computer PS/2 or USB port. The connection provides the keyboard power and relays electrical signals between the keyboard and computer. Wireless keyboards typically use battery power and a receiver that you connect to the computer for communicating, usually via RF (radio frequency) or Bluetooth technology. Inside a keyboard, a built-in microprocessor and circuitry manages those electrical pulses, which occur when you press a key and it connects to a sensor that’s underneath. The microprocessor, or controller, analyzes the pulses, converts them to binary form, and passes them to the operating system, which executes the appropriate command or enters content into the proper program. Fortunately, keyboards are fairly simple devices and don’t generally experience many problems. Still, there may come a time when you notice incorrect characters or no characters at all displaying on-screen, multimedia keys not functioning, error messages indicating a keyboard isn’t present, or keys sticking. The following are common keyboard-related problems and possible fixes. Simple Problems, Simple Solutions Most keyboard problems usually relate to the keyboard’s cable, proprietary software, its cleanliness, or mechanical failures. Fortunately, most of these problems are easily corrected.

Problem: Your keyboard only types capital letters or the numeric keypad won’t display numbers or text you enter overwrites existing characters.

Solution: These problems are usually caused by keys with functions you can toggle on and off. For example, if the keyboard only displays capital letters, the CAPS LOCK key is probably on. Press it to turn the function off. The same applies to the NUM LOCK, INSERT, and SCROLL LOCK keys.

Problem: You’ve spilled fluid on the keyboard.

Solution: Drink enough coffee, soda, or other beverage around your computer, and accidents are bound to happen including spilling liquid on your keyboard. If this happens, acting quickly is imperative, as the underlying circuitry is in immediate risk of being permanently damaged. To (hopefully) rescue the keyboard, first shut your system down to turn off electricity to it and then tip the keyboard to drain as much fluid as possible. Follow up by wiping it with a dry rag or towel. If the fluid was something other than water, use warm water to wipe the board clean. Some experts advise rinsing the entire board. If you do, make certain the keyboard is completely dry before plugging it back in, as electricity and water don’t mix. Using a hair dryer can accelerate the drying process, especially underneath the keys, but take care not to damage the circuitry with excessive heat. For safety reasons, consider waiting several days before using the keyboard again. If these steps don’t do the trick, a replacement is probably necessary.

Problem: Certain keys stick when you press them.

Solution: Your keyboard will usually let you know if a key is sticking by ringing out a continuous beep, indicating the keyboard’s memory buffer is packed. Otherwise, characters may display erratically, or you’ll physically feel the key is stuck. Keys stick for several reasons, including if the board is particularly dirty. Over time, keyboards accumulate significant dirt, dust, and debris on and under keys. A cloth tissue with a little water usually is enough to clean the board’s surface, and using a can of compressed air will clear most junk from underneath the keys. If you still notice keys sticking, power your system down and try to gently pry off the stuck key with a flathead screwdriver, cleaning the space with a cotton ball and some isopropyl alcohol. Beyond The Basics Although most keyboard-related problems aren’t severe, a few go beyond a cable simply being loose. The following problems require a bit more effort to resolve.

Problem: Your computer isn’t recognizing your keyboard.

Solution: If Windows displays an error message that a keyboard isn’t present or characters you type aren’t displaying on-screen, check the connection to the computer. Shut your system down and then look at its back to make sure the connector is securely plugged into the proper PS/2 or USB port. PS/2 keyboard ports are typically colored purple, and the connector will only fit one way. Check also that the connector’s pins aren’t bent or broken. It’s possible to gently bend a pin back in place, but if it’s broken, replacing the keyboard is your only option. If the pins are fine but you suspect the board isn’t receiving power, plug another keyboard into the computer. If it works, your keyboard’s circuitry may be damaged, and you’ll likely need a replacement. If the substitute also fails, the PS/2 or USB port or a motherboard controller may be bad, and it’s possible you’ll have to replace the motherboard. Finally, if the keyboard is plugged into a USB hub, the hub may not be capable of supplying sufficient power to the keyboard. Try connecting the keyboard directly to a dedicated USB port.

Problem: The multimedia or quick-launch keys won’t work.

Solution: Many keyboards include special keys for controlling multimedia content, such as adjusting volume levels, or for opening commonly used programs, such as a Web browser. Accessing these functions or customizing the keys usually requires installing proprietary software and a device driver that the keyboard’s manufacturer provides. If these keys aren’t working, check that the software is installed and the configurations set correctly. Check also that the keyboard meets Microsoft’s compatible tests. (You can check at testedproducts.win dowsmarketplace.com.) If your board isn’t listed, check with your manufacturer for updated software.

Problem: You accidentally turned on Sticky Keys and can’t turn it off.

Solution: Windows provides the Sticky Keys tool for those who have trouble holding down two keys at once, such as CTRL-Z. With Sticky- Keys turned on, you can push one key one at a time to perform a key combination. Pressing the SHIFT key five times turn Sticky Keys on. Pressing SHIFT five times again turns it off.

Problem: Characters repeat onscreen when you type.

Solution: If characters consistently and unintentionally repeat on-screen, adjusting the sensitivity of your keyboard’s keys can help. Do this in Windows XP by clicking Start and Control Panel and then double-clicking Keyboard. On the Speed tab, use the sliders under Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate to experiment with how long you have to hold a key down before it repeats and the rate at which repeated characters display. When you find a setting you’re comfortable with, click OK. Other Keys To Success Other options for curing what’s ailing your keyboard include checking if Device Manager shows the keyboard as being problematic. In WinXP, click Start and Control Panel and then double-click System. In the System Properties dialogue box, click the Hardware Tab, click Device Manager, and look for the Keyboards entry. If your see a yellow exclamation mark or red X, there is a problem. Highlight the keyboard and click the Uninstall button. Reboot the system, and Windows will reconfigure the board. If your board displays odd characters on-screen, check that Windows is using the correct language setting by opening Control Panel and double clicking Regional And Language Options. On the Languages tab, click Details and check that English (

United States

) – US is set as the default. If not, click the Add button under Installed Devices and select it from the dropdown menu.

Basic Troubleshooting Inkjet Printers

2008-08-07T21:46:00.003+08:00

Most of us have experienced the frustration of encountering a printer error just as we attempt to print a quick copy of a document. It seems that printer problems never occur at a convenient time, but at least with the right knowledge and a little bit of effort, you can troubleshoot your way through most of your inkjet printer woes. What You Need To Know Before you begin to troubleshoot your printer, make sure that you know if you have an inkjet printer or a laser printer.

There are several differences between an inkjet and laser printer. For instance, an inkjet printer dispenses small droplets of liquid ink from a cartridge onto a sheet of paper. A laser printer, on the other hand, uses toner, a powdered form of ink. To make the toner adhere to the paper, the toner must be hot so that the powder can fuse to the paper. A laser printer uses a laser and static electricity to do this. You may not be able to tell just by looking at your printer whether it is an inkjet or a laser printer, but generally paper comes out of an inkjet printer relatively cool, whereas paper comes out of a laser printer quite warm to the touch. Often, you can tell from the name of a printer whether it’s a laser or an inkjet. For instance, laser printers may contain the word “laser” in the product name, and inkjets may contain the words “jet” or “photo” in the name. Of course, the best way to find out for sure which type of printer you have is to look in your users manual or visit the manufacturer’s Web site.

This article deals primarily with the type of problems you may encounter when you use an inkjet or photo printer. If you have a laser printer, see the article “Basic Troubleshooting: Laser Printers”. The first thing you should do is identify the manufacturer of your printer, as well as its model name or number. Usually this information is printed on the face of the printer. Some common inkjet printer manufacturers include Canon, Epson, HP, and Lexmark, among others. The model number usually (but not always) consists of a series name, one or two letters, and a string of numbers. For example, you might have an Epson Stylus Photo R300. Epson is the manufacturer, Stylus Photo is the series name, and R300 is the model number. It’s important to have this information so that you can download drivers, manuals, and any other necessary files from the manufacturers’ Web site. You may also find it helpful to have a copy of your printer’s specifications. You can usually find the specs either in your users manual or on the manufacturer’s Web site. Typically, on a company’s Web site, specs are located either on the product page or in the Support section.

In the specifications, you’ll find information such as the maximum paper-handling capacity of your printer so that you don’t overload the inkjet tray with paper. You’ll also find what resolutions the printer supports, which can help you determine if your prints reflect the image quality you would expect from the printer. The specifications also contain vital information, such as what types and weights of papers are safe to use with your printer. Basic Troubleshooting Regardless of the type of problem you have with your printer, you should start with several basic troubleshooting steps, which we’ve listed below. By checking these things first, you can save a lot of time as you try to solve your printer’s problem. Check cable connections. First, check to ensure that the power and data cables are firmly connected on both ends. If a cable is loose, data communication errors may occur when you try to print. Update drivers. Visit the manufacturer’s Web site and check the Support, Downloads, or similar section for the most recent drivers for your printer. If you find a newer driver version than the one that you have installed, download and install it. Often, a simple driver update resolves a problem. Check the paper tray.

This may sound obvious, but when your printer refuses to print, you should verify that there is paper in the tray and that no sheets of paper are jammed in the printer. Print a test page. Some printers include the option to print a test page. The test page is a document that prints directly from the printer and that does not require you to load a file from your computer. If you cannot print a specific document on your computer but you can print a test page, the problem most likely lies with the software you’re using, the printer driver, or some other software-based element that resides on your computer. If your printer will not print a test page, you know that the cause is more than just a problem with the program in which you opened the document you wanted to print. If a printer cannot even print a built-in test page, something is wrong with the computer itself. This could be something as serious a printer malfunction or as easily-remedied as a paper jam. If you don’t know if your printer can generate test pages, consult your users manual or the manufacturer’s Web site for more information. The procedure varies depending on your brand and model of printer, and some inkjet printers do not produce a test page at all. (Test pages are more common on laser printers than on inkjet printers.) Print a different document. Make sure that you have tried to print more than one document. This will help you to determine whether the source of the problem lies with a single, possibly corrupted document or if the problem is more widespread. Print from a different application. Whenever you have a problem printing, you should try to print a document from another application. This way, you can determine if the printing problem is system-wide or if it is just a single program that cannot send documents to the printer properly. Check the Page Setup and Print options. In most applications, you can access both Page Setup and Print through the File menu. Check the configurations in both of these dialog boxes. Often, the source of a problem is a simple misconfiguration. When Nothing Prints The first and probably most distressing type of problem is when you can’t get anything to print at all. There are several potential causes.

Problem: When I send a document to the printer, nothing happens. I don’t hear the printer charge the ink, attempt to pull paper through its rollers, or anything.
Solution: As you should with any troubleshooting venture, start by checking the simplest things. Start by verifying that the power cable is plugged into the printer and a wall outlet, power strip, or surge protector. Next, make sure the printer’s power button is turned on and that the printer’s data cable is connected to both the printer and your PC. Next, make sure there isn’t a sheet of paper stuck in the printer. If there was a paper jam earlier, your printer may not even attempt to print any more documents until you remove the paper that’s stuck.

Problem: My document won’t print, and there’s a light flashing on the body of the printer.
Solution: When a light flashes on the face of the printer, it usually means that the printer has encountered an error. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you can usually learn more about the nature of the error by examining how many times the light blinks or by launching the printer utility that came with your printer. First, consult your users manual or the manufacturer’s Web site and look for “Blink codes,” “LED (light-emitting diode) status codes,” or similar guidelines to printer errors. You may learn, for instance, that a certain number of blinks indicates that the printer is out of paper and that a different number of blinks means that there’s a paper jam. If your printer doesn’t have LED codes, launch the printer utility that came with your printer. Often, this tool provides valuable information about the type of error your printer encountered. For example, the printer utility may tell you that one of your ink cartridges is empty, that your printer lost its connection to your PC, or that a necessary driver is missing. Something Prints, But It Looks Bad

Problem: There are tiny, blurry smudges across my print.

Solution: Usually, if you see small smudges across your prints, some type of lint or other debris has worked its way into your printer. As the ink heads deposit ink, some of it soaks the small bits of debris, which are then forced through the printer’s components along with the paper. As a result, you’ll see smudges of ink on the paper where the ink-soaked debris rubbed against the sheet of paper. The key to handling such ink smudges is first to ensure that you keep your printer clean and free of debris. Next, make sure that you only use papers which are safe to use in your printer. For example, if you want to use a cloth-based paper, such as a velvet or canvas, check your documentation or call the manufacturer to confirm that this type of paper will work with your printer. If your printer has already accumulated debris, the best way to clean things up is to clean the print head. The procedure for cleaning the print head is different for each printer, but usually you do this either by pressing a button on the face of the printer or by clicking a button such as Clean Print Head in the printer utility. You may need to clean the print head several times to remove debris if your printer is especially dirty. Cleaning the print head consumes some ink, so plan to use up a bit of the ink in your cartridges. If cleaning the print head does not clean the printer enough to remove smudges from prints, you will need to call an authorized repair center. Do not try to disassemble and clean the printer yourself.

Problem: There are small, white lines or gaps in my print.

Solution: When you see small gaps in your printouts, this, too, usually means that it’s time to clean the print head. See the previous problem and solution for more information about cleaning the print head. Rarely, gaps in printing occur because a print head is out of alignment. Again, your printer utility should have a tool for aligning the print head. If you’ve cleaned and realigned the print head but you’re still having problem with gaps in prints, you should either take your printer to an authorized repair center or buy a new printer. (Keep in mind that inkjet printers aren’t very expensive, so it may be cheaper to buy a new printer than to repair your current printer.)

Problem: My prints have a severe color cast. The overall tint seems to be more red, yellow, green, or blue than it should be.

Solution: You’re likely to see a color cast in your prints if you haven’t used your printer for several weeks or months. This is because the nozzles of the ink cartridges can dry out if they aren’t used periodically. If one or more of the ink heads is dry and clogged, your printer cannot deposit the proper proportions of colored ink on the paper. If you notice a color cast, the first thing to do is clean the print head, as we discussed earlier in this article. If the color cast continues after you clean the print head a few times, you should buy a new cartridge to replace the one that you suspect is dried out. To avoid such problems in the future, try to print something at least once every week or two. You don’t need to use a lot of ink to do this. You can print a test page from your printer or a very small document. You may even conserve ink by printing in draft mode. The important thing is that every so often, the ink cartridge dispenses some ink so that the ink heads don’t get clogged with dried ink. Besides dried-out ink cartridges, there are a couple of other things that can cause a color cast. First, an improperly calibrated monitor may display colors that are quite different than the colors that print. Calibration is a complicated topic that requires more space than what we have here. However, you can search the Smart Computing Tech Support Center (www.smartcomputing.com/techsup port) and the Web to find information about monitor calibration. Finally, some printer manufacturers have specially formulated inks that do not appear as the correct colors unless they are used with the manufacturer’s proprietary inkjet papers. For example, if you use Canon paper in an Epson printer, some of the colors may look funny. The best option in this case is to buy the paper that the manufacturer recommends.

Problem: There’s a slight difference between how my photos looked on my computer monitor and how they look when I print them. Specifically, it seems as if some colors are darker or lighter than they were on the screen.

Solution: Start by cleaning the print head and calibrating your monitor. Also, though, check your print settings. Make sure that you have selected the right type of paper, the desired print quality, and the correct color settings (if the option is available). If you have not selected the right type of paper in the Print Setup or Print Properties dialog boxes, your printer may deposit the wrong amount of ink on the page. For example, if the Print dialog box indicates that you’ll print on glossy photo paper but you insert standard inkjet paper, your printer will likely print much too heavily for the weight and finish of the standard inkjet paper. Likewise, if the Print Properties dialog box says that you will print on transparency paper, your printer will leave much less ink on the page than it would if it were printing on standard paper. Always make sure that you’ve selected the right type of paper before you begin printing. Paper Problems.

Problem: A sheet of paper is stuck in the printer.

Solution: Unfortunately, most of us have had a sheet of paper get stuck in the printer at some time. It can be a very common occurrence. To resolve a paper jam, you usually gently pull the sheet of paper back out of the printer and then reset the printer. However, to avoid damage to your printer, you should consult the users manual to first ensure that you remove the paper jam in a way that is safe for your printer.

Problem: The printer feeds more than one sheet through at a time.

Solution: If your printer pulls more than one sheet of paper through at a time, there are three likely causes. The first is that you’re using a paper type or thickness that your printer doesn’t support. (Check your documentation to determine if the paper is the problem.) The second possible cause is humidity. If your printer is in a humid room, the sheets of paper may become slightly moist and curl or stick together, causing them to feed through the printer improperly. You have a few options to fix this problem. First, you can run an air conditioner or a dehumidifier in the room. This will remove excess moisture from the air. Second, you can move your printer to a room where the air is drier. Third, you can store your paper in a dry location and retrieve paper only when you’re ready to use it. The third cause of a printer grabbing more than one sheet of paper at a time is a malfunction. It’s possible that the rollers that grasp the paper may need an adjustment. If you can find no other logical reason for the misfeeds, you should contact an authorized repair center to do this work for you.

Problem: I can hear the printer attempt to grab paper, but no sheets are actually entering the printer.

Solution: A printer that cannot grasp paper likely has one of the same problems that we just discussed (wrong paper type, high humidity, or malfunction). Read the previous solution for more guidance in resolving these problems.

Problem: My printer supports borderless photo printing, but there’s a gap around the edges of the pictures I print.

Solution: First, make sure that you’ve selected the proper paper size, such as Borderless 4x6, in the Page Setup and Print Properties dialog boxes. Then look for your printer’s Expansion setting. The name may be slightly different depending on the make and model of your printer. If you can’t find this setting, consult your users manual. Many printers that support borderless printing let you configure the degree to which your printer should expand your images to make sure that they print all the way to the edges of the paper you’re using. If the current expansion setting is too low, increase the expansion setting a little bit and try again. This should fix the problem.

Basic Troubleshooting Digital Cameras

2008-08-07T21:41:00.002+08:00

Digital cameras make taking photos easy, but only when our cameras function properly. When your camera misbehaves, there are steps that you should take to troubleshoot it so you can start snapping photos again. Identify Your Camera Before we dive into trouble-shooting your digital camera, we’ll take a look at some of the important information about and specifications for your camera that you should know. First, identify the manufacturer and model of your camera. Common manufacturers include Canon, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony, as well as many others. The camera manufacturer’s name is usually printed on the body of the camera. You’ll also find it printed on your owners manual. Likewise, the model name and number of your digital camera is probably printed on the camera’s body. Most cameras have a series name, such as Canon’s PowerShot line, Nikon’s Coolpix line, or Sony’s Cyber-shot line. In addition, most cameras also have a model number. For example, Canon’s PowerShot SD40 is from the PowerShot line and has a model number of SD40. Once you know the manufacturer, series name (if applicable), and model number of your camera, you can search the manufacturer’s site, the Web, and other resources for information about any problems that you encounter with your camera. Finally, if you need to call the camera manufacturer for technical support, you should try to locate the serial number of your digital camera before you place the call. The serial number usually starts with “SN,” “SN#,” or “No.” and is printed on a label or a barcode on the bottom of the camera. If you can’t find the serial number, the manufacturer should be able to help you locate it when you call for tech support. Find Other Camera Specs As you troubleshoot your camera’s problem, you’ll find that it helps to know the camera’s specifications. Some of the details of your camera’s specs are visible from a simple examination of the camera’s body. You can probably identify most of the shooting modes by examining the camera’s mode dial. You’ll also find that the focal range of a lens is usually printed around the barrel, close to the lens. You’ll probably find many of the specifications printed on the box that your camera came in. Detailed specifications are usually available in your users manual and on the manufacturer’s Web site. In-Camera Errors

Problem: My digital camera doesn’t recognize my flash memory card.

Solution: There are several reasons that a camera may not recognize a memory card. To troubleshoot, first determine if the card worked in your camera in the past. If it worked in your camera before but now your camera doesn’t recognize the card, the card is likely either formatted wrong or corrupted. If you formatted your memory card on your computer rather than in your camera, there’s a good chance that this is the source of the problem. Digital cameras use the FAT (file allocation table) file system, which is the same file system used by Windows 9x/Me/NT. Windows XP can also use a FAT system, but it also supports a newer technology, NTFS (NT file system). The FAT file system is available in several forms, including 12-, 16-, 32-, and 64-bit. Although your computer likely uses NTFS or FAT32, your digital camera probably uses FAT12 or FAT16. These file systems are older than the ones that your computer uses, and therefore your digital camera may not be able to read newer formats such as FAT32.

You camera will not recognize NTFS formatted data. If your camera no longer recognizes a card that you formatted with Windows, you can try to resurrect the card by reformatting it in Windows using a different file system. Connect a flash memory card reader to your computer and insert the memory card. Double-click My Computer and then the icon that represents the card reader. Make sure that you’ve selected the correct drive so that you don’t accidentally delete the data on one of your other connected drives. Right click the icon for your card reader and click Format. In the resulting window, click to select FAT under File System. Make sure that Default Allocation Size is selected. Then make sure that both the Quick Format and Compression checkboxes are selected. Next, click the Start button. You will lose any data on the card, and this will format your card in FAT16, which is compatible with most digital cameras. After Windows finishes formatting the card in FAT16, right-click the card reader’s icon and click Eject. Remove the memory card, insert it in your digital camera, and turn your camera on. Your camera will probably recognize the card. If so, before you do anything else, format the card in the camera, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If your camera still doesn’t recognize the memory card, insert your memory card in the card reader again. Click Start and Run. In the Open field, type cmd.exe and click OK. When you see a command prompt, type the letter of your memory card reader, followed by a colon (:). For example, if your card reader is the G: drive, you would type g:. Then type /FS:FAT. So if your card reader is the G: drive, you’ll type g:/FS:FAT at the command prompt. Press ENTER. Finally, close the window with the command prompt. After you properly eject the memory card from the reader, insert the card in your digital camera. If your camera still can’t recognize it, the card itself is probably damaged, and you should invest in a new memory card. If your camera can’t recognize a new memory card, either, you’ll need to contact the manufacturer to repair your camera. There may be a problem with either the camera’s memory card slot or the camera’s internal motherboard that causes data corruption. Finally, to avoid formatting problems in the future, always format a card using your digital camera instead of Windows. The method of formatting a card varies among camera brands and models, so you’ll need to consult your users manual for instructions.

Problem: My digital camera’s LCD displays an error code or error message that I’m not familiar with.

Solution: Consult your camera’s users manual or the manufacturer’s Web site to determine what the error code means. For example, according to Canon’s Web site, when a Canon digital camera displays “E18” on the LCD, there is some type of problem with either the lens or the lens cover. Take the time to research the error message. Armed with knowledge about the error, you may be able to solve the problem yourself. Difficulties Moving Photos From Camera To PC

Problem: I’ve connected my camera to my computer, but my camera can’t transfer the photos to the PC.

Solution: First, double-check the transfer procedures for your camera. Some cameras require only that you press the power button. Other cameras also require that you turn a mode dial to a USB Transfer mode. Sometimes data transfer problems occur because your camera’s driver (software that tells your PC how to communicate with an external device) has become corrupted. You have a couple of options. You may download the most recent driver for your camera from the manufacturer’s Web site, install it, restart your computer, and then try to transfer photos again. Another option is to bypass the driver problem by using a card reader to transfer photos to your PC. Make sure that you buy a card reader that supports the type of memory card that your camera uses. When you use a card reader, you’re less likely to encounter the device conflicts that often occur when a camera’s driver conflicts with another device’s driver. (This is especially likely to happen if there’s more than one digital camera in your home.)

Problem: My camera’s batteries don’t last long enough to reliably transfer images from my camera to my computer.

Solution: As we discussed in the previous solution, memory card readers are an excellent alternative to transferring images directly from your digital camera. Card readers don’t require an external power supply. They gather all of the power that they need from a PC’s USB or Fire- Wire port, so you don’t need to worry about the toll that transfers take on your camera’s batteries. Also, data corruption is less likely because you don’t need to worry about losing battery power during a data transfer.

Problem: I don’t see an icon for my digital camera in My Computer.

Solution: First, make sure that the cable for your camera is firmly connected to both the camera and to your PC. Also, doublecheck that your camera is turned on and, if it has a USB Transfer mode, that you have pressed the right button or turned the mode dial to the proper position. If you still can’t find an icon for your camera in My Computer, remember that some cameras show up as removable drives. Trouble Viewing Photos On A PC

Problem: I can’t open RAW images on my PC.

Solution: To view RAW images on your computer, you’ll need to use special software. You may use the software that came with your digital camera, or you can use an application that supports viewing and processing RAW images. For example, the Adobe Camera RAW plug-in for the Photoshop and Photoshop Elements programs lets you open and process RAW images. Because RAW files are proprietary to each digital camera, you’ll need to save your images in a universal format, such as TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) or JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) when you’re done processing the RAW file.

Problem: Some of my photos on my card are messed up. For example, part of the image is missing, there are colored stripes running across my photo, or it has random color blobs and digital noise throughout the image.

Solution: When you see garbled or otherwise "messed-up" images on your camera, it usually indicates that the images are corrupted. Luckily, there are software programs that may be able to repair corrupted images. For example, Photo Rescue Wizard PC ($29; www.datarescue.com) is software that applies algorithms to corrupted data on a memory card to recover lost data. This doesn’t always work, but often you can save at least some of your photos. If you don’t need to recover the photos from the memory card, try to format the card in your camera. If you continue to see corrupted images in the future, you should buy a new memory card. If you still see corrupted images, even after switching to a new memory card, you should contact the camera manufacturer because there may be a problem with your camera that is causing it to write corrupted data to your memory cards.

Basic Troubleshooting Routers & Hubs

2008-08-07T21:34:00.002+08:00

A router or hub is the cornerstone of the average home network. An Ethernet hub, which has several Ethernet ports, lets users share folders and files among all of the computers connected to the home network. A router generally has a built-in hub and also has features that let it share a broadband Internet connection with the networked PCs. Routers also usually include other features, such as wireless connectivity and a hardware firewall that can protect your computers from many of the digital threats floating around the Web. Because the router is the center of your network, many network problems can be traced back to it. A defective device, bad settings, old firmware, and firewall issues can all put your network on the blink. We’ll show you how to troubleshoot your router or hub so you can spot and fix common problems. Know Your Model Some of our problem/solutions below may send you to the router or hub manufacturer’s Web site to download product updates. To download the right updates, you’ll need to know the unit manufacturer and model number of your device.

Many routers and hubs bear the model number on the front panel and other information (such as the serial number) on the bottom of the device. How To Tell If The Router Or Hub Is The Problem You can determine whether your router is the source of your network troubles by eliminating other network devices as the problem sources. Chances are, there’re only a few potential troublemakers beyond your router: the connection from your ISP (Internet service provider) to your home, the broadband modem that translates the data from your phone or cable line, or a troubled network card. You can rule out the first two problem sources easily enough (see “Basic Troubleshooting: Network Interface Cards” for network adapter troubleshooting). To determine whether your cable modem is the problem, you’ll need to reset it. If your cable (or DSL [Digital Subscriber Line]) modem doesn’t have a reset button, you can probably reset it by unplugging the power cord from the device for a few minutes. Once you plug the power cord back into the cable modem, it will try to reconnect to your ISP. If the reset doesn’t solve the problem, call your ISP’s tech support number. The representative will let you know if Internet access is down in your area and can test the connection from the ISP to your modem to make sure it’s working properly.

The representative can probably even test your modem remotely, as well. Once you’ve determined that the ISP and modem are not to blame, disconnect your computer from the router and instead plug the PC’s Ethernet cable directly into the modem. Be sure to enable your firewall software before you try this test, as you’ll bypass the router (and its built-in hardware firewall) completely. (You can use Windows XP’s built-in Firewall: Open the Control Panel, double-click Windows Firewall, and then choose the On radio button.) If your computer can connect to the Internet, you’re looking at a router problem. If the PC still won’t connect to the Internet, you’ll need to troubleshoot the PC itself.

Problem: My firmware is not up to date.

Solution: Before you dive into the specific problems and solutions below, make sure your router’s firmware is up-to-date. This step is important in fact, we provide all other solutions in this article under the assumption that you have already updated your router’s firmware without solving the problem. Unlike peripherals, which require drivers to communicate with your PC, your router needs only firmware, which is a small program stored in the device’s memory. Firmware controls the device and provides a menu of features that you can access via an Internet browser. As they do with drivers, device manufacturers often release updated versions of firmware that fix bugs and add new features. If you’re experiencing any problems with your router, you should kick off your troubleshooting session by making sure that the device has the most recent firmware release after all, the new firmware version may fix the problem automatically or provide tools that will let you fix the problem. To determine the router’s current firmware version, you’ll need to open the firmware menu. Open your Internet browser (such as Firefox or Internet Explorer) and then enter the router’s IP (Internet Protocol) address in the browser’s Address bar. Your router’s users manual will come in handy here (if you don’t have it any longer, download the manual from the Support section of the manufacturer’s Web site), as it will include the router’s IP address (such as 192.168.1.1). You will almost certainly see a login screen before the menu appears. Consult your manual for the login information if you haven’t already changed the username and password (and don’t forget to change the username and password later on default login info leaves your network open to even the most inexperienced hackers). You can visit the router’s IP address via your Internet browser whether your Internet connection is working or not: the data travels between your PC and the router via your Ethernet cable. When the firmware menu appears in your browser, look for the firmware version number, which generally appears on the front page of the menu. If you don’t see the firmware version, check your manual the manufacturer likely placed the version number somewhere else in the menu. Once you have your current firmware version number, visit the router manufacturer’s Web site and head for the Support section. Look up your router’s model number to see whether the manufacturer has a more recent version available for download. Don’t panic if you don’t have the latest version: Downloading and installing it is a very simple process. Once you’ve downloaded the new firmware, check your manual for installation instructions. In our experience, the manual will tell you to return to your router’s existing firmware and use a built-in update feature that can automatically update the device via the file you just downloaded.

Problem: I can access the Internet when I connect directly to my broadband modem, but not when I put a router between the modem and my PC.

Solution 1: Update your firmware by following our instructions in the previous problem and solution, as buggy firmware might be the problem. If you already have the latest version of the router’s firmware, use the firmware menu to return all of the features to their default settings. If this solves the connection problem, be sure to make future settings changes one at a time so you’ll know what setting causes trouble if you encounter problems again.

Solution 2: Reset your network devices. This gives them the chance to reassign IP addresses and connect to each other without conflicts. To completely reset your network devices, power off your PC and then unplug your broadband modem and router. Leave the units unplugged for a few minutes. Consult your device manuals to determine whether you need to perform any additional tasks to reset the devices (some units have Reset buttons, for example). Finally, plug in and power on your devices, starting with the broadband modem, then your router, and then your PC.

Problem: I can’t access certain Web sites from computers on my network.

Solution: Chances are good that your software firewall is the culprit, rather than your router. Software firewalls might block your access to certain Web sites for a variety of reasons. If your computer runs a software firewall, start your troubleshooting by first disabling the software firewall and then visiting the Web site again. If you still can’t access the site, enter your router’s firmware menu and then navigate to its filtering settings. Anyone who can log into your router’s firmware (via the username and password you defined) can use the router’s filtering features to create a list of Web sites that the router will block access to. As we mentioned, this is a much less likely scenario than your software firewall detecting something on the Web site that triggers its own blocking features.

Problem: All of my computers can access the Internet via the router, but they can’t see each other.

Solution: You can easily solve this problem by configuring your PCs to recognize each other (and share files, folders, and printers) over the network. Although your computers are physically networked, they may not yet belong to a specific network group and may lack other settings (such as file sharing settings). Some networking devices include file-sharing programs that let you configure your network, but don’t panic if your equipment doesn’t include such software. Windows has a built-in Network Setup Wizard that can configure your computers and put them into a network group. Once you complete the wizard on each networked PC, you’ll be able to see all of your network computers’ shared folders in the My Network Places window and access any shared printers. To start the wizard, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Network Setup Wizard, and then follow the Wizard’s instructions.

Problem: My wireless router dropped the connection to my home computers.
Solution: Your wireless router assigns an IP address to each of the computers on your network. If your computer drops its wireless connection and doesn’t produce any error messages, you can probably reinstate the connection by reassigning an IP address via router. Routers generally use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) to automatically assign IP addresses, so you’ll want to release the router’s DHCP assignments and then force it to assign new IP addresses. To force a DHCP release, enter your router’s firmware menu and look for a DHCP Release feature. Your router’s manual or the firmware’s support documentation will help you find the feature. Many routers feature DHCP Release and DHCP Renew buttons that let you quickly complete this task.

Problem: My hub’s connections work fine but the Speed LED doesn’t light up for one of my connections.

Solution: The connection that isn’t triggering the LED is not operating at the hub’s maximum data transfer speed. Most hubs support at least two speeds (10Mbps [megabits per second] and 100Mbps), and some also support gigabit (1,000Mbps) speeds. Rather than clutter the hub’s front panel with LEDs for each of the hub’s supported speeds, the manufacturer simply added a single LED (per port) that lights up only when the port is operating at full speed. Many hubs have a separate LED that indicates whether data is currently transferring across the port. If this LED doesn’t light up when you attempt to send data, you may have a connection problem. Otherwise, you’re simply facing a port that isn’t operating at its top speed. If you expected the port to operate at its maximum speed, double-check the cable that connects to the port, as well as the network adapter in your PC. The adapter is particularly important if it doesn’t support the same top speed that your hub supports, the data transfer will slow the adapter’s speed. The cable can also affect data speed in some situations. Standard 10/100 hubs transfer data over CAT5 (Category 5) Ethernet cables, whereas gigabit hubs need CAT5e cables to offer top data transfer speeds.

Basic Troubleshooting Network Interface Cards

2008-08-07T21:31:00.002+08:00

Whether you have a home network or are among the ever-increasing number of people signing up for broadband Internet access, your computer’s NIC (Network Interface Card) is its lifeline to the rest of the world. Making sure your NIC runs at peak performance (or runs at all) is a big priority for any PC user, and doing so has become increasingly difficult because of the problems associated with wireless NICs. Most of today’s computers have a NIC integrated directly into the computer’s motherboard. If you have an older computer, the NIC is most likely installed in a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slot, or it may have an external NIC that attaches to a USB port. If the computer has a wired NIC, you can identify it by looking for an Ethernet port, which looks like an oversized phone jack and has lights above or below it that flash to indicate network activity. An Ethernet cable attaches to the jack, and then the other end of the cable attaches to a broadband modem or to a router (also called a gateway or access point) if you have a home network. Wireless NICs typically attach to one of the computer’s USB ports (or slide into an expansion bay if you have a notebook computer), although some wireless NICs designed for desktop PCs use a PCI slot and have an antenna instead of an Ethernet port. The NIC is just one link in the chain between the computer and the Internet or network, so it’s sometimes difficult to tell if the NIC is responsible when those types of connections go haywire. With wired and wireless NICs, if the connection is working but seems very slow (especially over the network), then the NIC is likely to blame. If there is no connection at all, check the router and broadband modem first to make sure they are plugged in and operational. Wired NICs are incredibly reliable, while wireless NICs are notoriously unreliable, so keep that in mind when determining what is responsible for network and Internet problems. If the router and broadband modem seem to be working properly and you don’t see any lights blinking on the NIC, the NIC is likely dead and needs to be replaced. Beyond that, there are several common troubleshooting steps you can take that will clear up most problems. All of the following tips apply to Windows XP but will work with other versions of Windows with slight modifications. General Troubleshooting

Problem: The NIC doesn’t run as fast as advertised.

Solution: Click Start, Control Panel, and Switch To Classic View (if necessary), and double-click Network Connections. Right-click Local Area Connection, click Properties, and click Configure. Select the Advanced tab and click the speed-related entry in the Property box (on our PC it was labeled Link Speed & Duplex, but this may vary depending on the NIC that is installed). Use the Value dropdown box to select the fastest speed your NIC supports, which is likely 10/100Mbps (megabits per second) Full Duplex but may be 1,000Mbps Full Duplex if you have a Gigabit Ethernet card installed. Click OK and reboot the computer. The card should operate at its full speed, assuming your router and the network computer you’re connecting to also support that speed. The speed of a wireless NIC depends mainly on the strength of the wireless signal it receives. You can get a quick read of the strength of your NIC’s wireless connection by hovering the mouse cursor over the wireless icon in the system tray and waiting for a balloon to appear that tells you the overall signal strength. If it doesn’t say Excellent or Very Good, then you may need to move the computer closer to the wireless router, upgrade the router, or invest in an antenna that attaches to the router and boosts the signal.

Problem: The NIC has power (the lights blink), but my computer won’t connect to the network or to the Internet.

Solution: Sometimes the NIC must be “reset” so the router recognizes it. Click Start, Control Panel, and Switch To Classic View (if necessary), and double-click Network Connections. Click Repair This Connection in the Network Tasks box, wait for the process to complete, and click Close. If the connection still doesn’t work, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the NIC according to the instructions it came with.

Problem: My NIC has an inherent problem that I’ve heard is fixable by applying a driver and/or firmware update, but I don’t know how to do this.

Solution: Drivers are software that Windows uses to communicate with your hardware, while firmware is software that is installed in a special memory chip on the NIC and that controls all aspects of the NIC’s operation. Updating to the latest drivers and firmware revisions can fix bugs, enhance compatibility, and add new features to the NIC that can help you avoid further trouble. You must download the latest drivers and firmware from the manufacturer’s Web site, and when doing so you must make sure it matches up with the exact make and model of NIC you use. To find out this information, look for a sticker on the bottom of an external NIC. For internal NICs, click Start, right-click My Computer, click Properties, and select the Hardware tab. Click Device Manager, expand the Network Adapters entry by clicking the plus (+) sign next to it, and write down the exact name that appears there. Use the instructions provided by the manufacturer to install the drivers or firmware. This is especially important during firmware upgrades as mistakes during the process can render the NIC useless. Troubleshooting Wireless NICs

Problem: I attached a wireless NIC to a device (such as a game console or digital video recorder), but the device does not have access to my home network or to the Internet.

Solution: The first thing to do is to determine whether the device is compatible with a NIC, because there’s a good chance it needs a wireless bridge. Bridges are a lot like wireless NICs except they have more internal hardware that lets them act as a sort of wireless cable. This means bridges work with just about every type of network-enabled product, whereas wireless NICs only work with products that have enough integrated networking hardware to recognize the NIC and manage the network connection. If the device requires a bridge, you’ll need to buy one, attach it to your router, and configure it to work with your network according to the instructions provided with the router. Once you configure the bridge, it should work with all of your network enabled devices simply by plugging it into their Ethernet ports. If the device is supposed to work with a wireless NIC, then it must have some network setup menu that you can access to input network settings such as the network name and password. Check the documentation that came with the device to figure out how to enter this data, which must match the settings that were established when you set up and secured your wireless router.

Problem: I booted the computer but can’t access either the network or the Internet.

Solution: Sometimes the wireless NIC simply doesn’t turn on or fails to connect to the network on its initial attempt. When this happens, the wireless icon in the system tray has a red X next to it, so right-click the icon and click Repair. If that doesn’t establish the connection, right-click the icon and click View Available Wireless Networks. Find your network on the list, click its entry, and click Connect.

Problem: My NIC says it supports speeds that are much faster than the 802.11g or 802.11a specifications allow, but I never achieve those high speeds when transferring network files.

Solution:802.11g and 802.11a (the two most popular high-speed wireless Ethernet standards) operate at up to 54Mbps (megabits per second), but most manufacturers add speedboosting technology to their wireless products that allow for much faster speeds. Unfortunately, these technologies are not standardized and therefore do not work with similar products from other manufacturers, so stick to products from the same company (that use the exact same speed-boosting technology) to benefit from a faster connection.

Basic Troubleshooting Wireless Access Cards

2008-08-07T21:30:00.004+08:00

Wireless access cards, also known as wireless adapters, replace standard Ethernet cables to create a wireless link between your PC and a wireless AP (access point) or router. Although wireless networking equipment offers convenience to users who want to place computers in multiple rooms without running Ethernet cables around the house, the equipment isn’t foolproof: You’re bound to run into network problems at some point. We’ll help you troubleshoot an unruly wireless adapter. Make & Model Whether you plan to call tech support or simply want to search for drivers on the manufacturer’s Web site, you’ll need to know your device’s model number. In most cases, finding the model number is a snap: If you don’t see the model number on the device itself, you can find it via your computer’s Device Manager. Click Start, Control Panel, and then open System. Click Device Manager and then click the plus (+) sign next to Net-work Adapters. Your adapter’s name will appear and will most likely include a model number. The adapter’s software will also generally display its model number. Update Your Drivers Software publishers and hardware manufacturers tweak their products for months (and sometimes years) after they release them.

Software publishers update their programs via patches, while hardware manufacturers tweak their hardware with firmware updates and new driver releases. Updated drivers sometimes add functionality, but they also often include important bug fixes. If you’re experiencing any problems with your wireless adapter, we recommend that you download and install the latest driver for your adapter. To determine your driver’s version number, click Start, Control Panel, and then open System. Click Device Manager and then click the plus sign next to Network Adapters. Right-click your wireless adapter and then click Properties. Finally, click the Driver tab, which will display your driver version and driver release date. Next, visit the Support section of the manufacturer’s Web site and see if a newer driver is available. If it is, download the driver to your hard drive. To uninstall your existing driver, open the adapter’s Properties window, click the Driver tab, and then Update Driver. When the Hardware Update Wizard appears, click the No, Not This Time radio button and then click Next. Click the Install From A List Or Specific Location (Advanced), click Next, and then check the Include This Location In The Search box. Click the Browse button, navigate to the downloaded driver on your hard drive, and then complete the wizard. If your adapter connects to one of the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots in your computer, keep in mind that you may need to remove the adapter before you start the driver installation. (Your adapter’s manual will let you know if you need to disconnect it.) Keep a screwdriver handy.

Problem: My PC’s wireless adapter won’t connect to my wireless AP or router.

Solution 1: Make sure your AP or router supports the same wireless networking standard that your adapter uses. For example, you can use 802.11b and g devices without any compatibility problems, but you can’t use an 802.11a adapter to connect to an 802.11g network. This may seem like a “no kidding” sort of solution, but if you’ve ever fretted over a seemingly dead PC, only to discover that the power cord was unplugged, you’ll agree that sometimes the obvious answer is the one we overlook.

Solution 2: Renew the router’s DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) settings. Your router most likely uses the DHCP networking protocol to automatically assign IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to all of the PCs on your network. You can often fix a dropped connection by entering your router’s firmware menu and using the firmware’s DHCP Release/Renew feature (see “Basic Troubleshooting: Routers & Hubs” to learn more about forcing a DHCP release).

Solution 3: Switch your wireless connection software. Chances are, you’re using the adapter manufacturer’s software. Windows XP includes the Wireless Zero Configuration Utility, but your adapter’s software overrides it by default. You can switch to the Zero Configuration Utility only if your adapter’s software permits it. Find the adapter’s icon (which appears in the System Tray) and then right-click it. You may see Use Windows XP Wireless Configuration (or a similar link). Click the link, open the Control Panel and then open Network Connections. Next, double-click the Wireless Network Connection icon to view available networks.

Problem: My wireless connection is weak or drops frequently.

Solution 1: Determine whether physical obstacles are weakening the signal. Not surprisingly, wireless networks offer the strongest signals in open spaces, but unless your home resembles a hanger, your wireless network must negotiate walls and floors, both of which can reduce the strength and range of the signal. Today’s home networking equipment can reach as far as 300 feet in the very best circumstances, but your home’s metal and concrete will savage your router’s signal strength. If the computers closest to your wireless AP or router aren’t dropping the wireless connection and the computer that is dropping the connection is at the far end of the house, you can probably blame your network troubles on distance and physical barriers. There are two popular types of signal-strengthening devices on the market for home users: rangeboosting antennae and repeaters. Several manufacturers offer APs and wireless routers that have removable antenna. If you can detach your router’s antenna, you can replace it with an antenna that offers more dBi (decibels relative to isotropic). Chances are, your router’s manufacturer also offers an optional range-boosting antenna. Repeaters, which are devices that resemble APs, also boost your router’s signal strength and are great for throwing the signal around corners. Unlike antennae, which attach directly to the router, a repeater can sit far from a router, pick up the router’s signal, and “repeat” it. If your PC sits behind a particularly thick wall or other physical barrier, consider placing a repeater between the router and the PC that drops connections.

Solution 2: Move your wireless adapter or your computer. If your computer sits under your desk or in a cupboard, consider buying a wireless USB adapter that includes a lengthy cable. You can run the USB adapter’s antenna up to the top of your desk, where it may get better reception.

Solution 3: Change your wireless channel. If you live in an area that has many wireless networks, you may see a performance boost when you change your router’s wireless channel. Other APs and wireless routers that use the same channel your router uses may reduce the strength of your signal. Your router supports up to 11 channels, which means you have plenty of wiggle room. To change your router’s channel, you’ll need to enter its firmware menu via an Internet browser (see “Basic Troubleshooting: Routers & Hubs” to learn more about accessing the menu). Once you enter the menu, browse for the router’s wireless settings, which will include a field that lets you choose a channel. Most standard networking devices choose a channel by default and then let users change the channel, but enhanced devices that offer extra range and speed functionality may insist on a specific channel until you disable the performance-boosting feature.

Problem: I can’t find my wireless access point or router.

Solution: When you first try to connect to your network, your wireless adapter’s software will scan the area for available networks and then display a list of networks. If you don’t see your own list in this network, you may have disabled the router’s SSID (Service Set Identifier) feature, which broadcasts the SSID to local wireless adapters. Disabling the SSID broadcast is a common security method, as it effectively stealths your network, making it that much harder for would-be hackers to spot. The good news is that your adapter doesn’t need to see the SSID to connect to your router. Your adapter’s software includes a manual connection feature that lets you enter your network’s information, including the SSID (which means that you’ll need to know your router’s SSID refer to the router’s firmware to find it). Once you enter the appropriate SSID and encryption information, you’ll be able to connect to your router without any trouble.

Basic Troubleshooting Dial-up Modems

2008-08-07T20:18:00.002+08:00

Think of your dial-up modem as your computer’s link to the outside world. It’s a slow, noisy device, but it gives you access to millions of Web sites, email, and all the marvels of the Internet when it’s working. When it’s not, a modem can be as much fun as a dentist’s drill. To fix it, you first need to gather some basic information about the modem you have. Nearly all analog modems (as opposed to cable and DSL [Digital Subscriber Line] modems) are internal. Just look for the phone jack on the back or the side of your PC, and you’ve found your modem. You can find out the manufacturer and model number by looking in the Windows Device Manager.

In Windows XP, click Start, then right-click the My Computer icon. Choose Properties, click the Hardware tab, then click the Device Manager button. Now click the plus sign next to Modems to see each modem installed on your system. If you want more information, right-click your modem and choose Properties. If you don’t find what you need here, you can always check your modem’s or your PC’s users guide and packaging, where you’ll get a complete list of tech specs. Find The Culprit You also need to know if the problem is your modem or something else that’s keeping you from connecting to the Internet. Plenty of problems can keep your computer from getting online, including your phone line itself. When you pick up your phone, do you hear static, hissing, or crackling? It’s called “line noise,” and it can prevent modems from connecting or keeping a connection active. (We’ll discuss line noise in more depth below.) Bad weather can also give your modem the blues, because rain and excessive humidity can introduce noise into an otherwise normal phone line. Adapters, line splitters, and cable extenders can do the same. Have you tried a different phone jack? If you can keep a connection on one jack but not another, there’s a good chance the problem is the jack itself, or frayed wires inside it. Try removing the phone jack’s wall plate and looking inside; if you see exposed copper or old, decaying plastic, you may have found the root of your connection woes. Even software can prevent you from getting online, or staying online once you’ve established a connection some software, such as Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, can disconnect your call after you send and receive email. In Outlook, click Tools, Options, Mail Setup, and uncheck the box marked Hang Up When Finished With A Manual Send/Receive. You should also consult your firewall’s users guide for issues that mask themselves as modem problems.

Problem: I can’t get the modem to connect.

Solution: Let’s start with the basics. Does your modem have the most up-to-date software, including drivers and firmware? Drivers are programs that let your modem communicate with your system. Firmware is software that resides on the modem itself and governs how the device acts. Both can be flashed that is, updated with a download from the manufacturer’s Web site. So before you do anything else, find a computer with an active Internet connection, get online, download an update if one exists, and copy it to a floppy diskette or burn it to a CD. The Web site should tell you how to install it. If your modem starts a call and only gets halfway through the handshake the loud, high-pitched noise that indicates your modem is connecting to a computer on the other end of the line—open the Device Manager and click the plus sign next to the word Modems, then right-click the modem you’re using and choose Properties. Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Change Default Preferences button. Set the number in the Cancel The Call If Not Connected Within box to 180 or even 240 seconds (the default setting is 60). Click OK twice to return to the Device Manager, then close the Device Manager and try to connect again. Still no luck? Sometimes it helps to add special commands to your modem’s initialization string (a special set of numbers and letters that tell the modem how to connect to a computer on the other end of the call). The commands you’ll add are text strings themselves, such as S95=1+MS=11 or &KO. To find them, check the Web site of your modem’s manufacturer or search the large database at www .ModemHelp.org for your modem’s make and model.

When you’ve found the string you’d like to try, first open the Device Manager, right-click your modem, choose Properties, and click the Advanced tab. Enter your commands in the box named Extra Initialization Commands and try to connect again. If that fails, line noise or faulty hardware in the modem could be to blame. There’s no fix for faulty hardware; only a replacement modem will do. If you checked for line noise before getting started, keep in mind that modems can detect far more noise than the human ear. Call your phone company and tell them you think you have a noise problem that’s preventing your modem from connecting; they can test the line from their office or send a specialist to your house to tweak line settings such as gain control that is, how much their equipment boosts your phone line’s signal, adding noise in the process.

Problem: The modem connects, then drops the call.

Solution 1: If you can get a connection but can’t keep it, try everything in the step above, as it applies to this problem, too. Remember that certain software (email programs are constant offenders) can disconnect your call after performing key functions. If your call disconnects after 10, 20, or 30 minutes, call your ISP (Internet service provider) and ask if they use a heartbeat message for incoming modem calls. A heartbeat is a small signal sent from the ISP’s server to your computer, to see if your machine is still active. If not, the ISP will disconnect you, to keep its lines open and save money. You can also download freeware or shareware that sends regular data packets to your ISP to defeat heartbeat systems. One well-known program for this is Stay Live 2000 (www.gregory braun.com/StayLive.html).

Solution 2: Do you have call waiting? If so, incoming calls may force your modem to drop a connection. Your phone company can tell you how to disable call waiting prior to placing a modem call; often, it’s as simple as pressing #43# on your phone.

Solution 3: If that fails to work, you should turn off your modem’s data compression feature. Open the Device Manager, right-click your modem, choose Properties, then click the Advanced Tab and the Change Default Preferences button. In the Data Connection Preferences section, set the Data Compression menu to Disabled, then click OK twice to return to the Control Panel. Close it, reboot your system, and try your connection again.

Solution 4: If the problem continues, try connecting at a lower speed. The higher your connection speed, the less stable your call. To change your connection speed, open the Device Manager, right-click your modem, choose Properties, then click the Advanced Tab and the Change Default Preferences button. In the Data Connection Preferences section, set the Port Speed to a lower number and try to reconnect. Repeat the process if the problem persists, choosing a lower number each time. You can also click the Advanced Port Settings button on the Advanced tab and set both the Receive and Transmit buffers to their lowest options. If that fails to work, uncheck the Use FIFO Buffers option and try to reconnect. If your modem continues to drop calls, call your ISP’s help desk or the support line at your modem’s manufacturer.

Problem: The modem’s download speed is extremely slow.

Solution: Does your connection slow to a crawl? Are you a year older when a page loads? If so, remember that analog modems aren’t the fastest connections around. DSL and cable boast speeds up to 50 times faster, and sometimes more. What’s more, even a 56K modem won’t connect at 56K. Speeds in the 30 to 50Kbps (kilobits per second) range are far more common, given problems with phone lines, line noise, and modems themselves. In fact, when computer and modem makers say “56K,” what they mean is “56K under ideal conditions that don’t exist outside our labs.” Problems that keep your connection from achieving its fastest speed include your distance from the phone company’s switching station and whether your neighborhood or apartment building has a concentrator (a device that converts analog phone lines into digital signals). Last, your DNS (Domain Name System) and DUN (dial-up networking) settings can add molasses to your modem. Rather than tweak them yourself, it’s best to call your ISP’s help desk, explain the problem, and ask them for guidance, as the settings they recommend may depend on the configuration of their internal systems.

Problem: My modem’s “handshake” process goes on and on and on but never connects.
Solution: The handshake the loud, high-pitched noise that indicates your modem is connecting to another computer is a key step in the connection process. It helps your modem identify connection settings and error correction rates (error correction lets your modem deal with a change in the quality of the phone line’s signal without disconnecting the call). There are two types of error correction: hardware and software, of which hardware is far and away the best. Check your modem’s users guide to see which type of error correction you have. If it’s software, consider buying a different modem, as software-based error correction can slow down data rates drastically. If your modem’s error correction feature is hardware-based, update your firmware using the directions outlined above. Old firmware is a common cause of long handshakes.

Problem: When I try to connect, I’m told there’s no dial tone.

Solution: Have you checked the phone line itself? If your phones get a dial tone but your modem doesn’t, check your modem’s connection to the wall jack. Make sure it’s tight. If you have an external modem, check your modem’s power cable and power supply. If they all check out, you may have too much line noise in your connection, or your modem itself may need to be replaced.

Problem: When I try to connect, I see a message that says “A dial-up connection could not be established” or “The protocol is not configured.”

Solution:
You may have a problem with your network protocols. A protocol is simply a convention used to govern the connection between devices. Common protocol names are TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), IPX/SPX (Internet work Packet Exchange/ Sequenced Packet Exchange), and Client for Microsoft Networks. Different ISPs use a different blend of protocols to let your modem connect to their machines; if you receive an error message that mentions protocols, call your ISP’s help desk to see which protocols they use, then turn off extra protocols that can interfere with a connection. (Often, your ISP won’t need the IPX/SPX protocol, which Windows turns on by default.) To turn off a protocol, click Start, Control Panel. Double-click the Network Connections icon and right click your modem’s dial-up connection. Choose Properties from the context menu. In the section named Use These Components With this Connection, click the Networking tab and uncheck the box next to any protocol you don’t want. If you need to add a protocol, click the Add button and select your protocol type from the list. Then follow the prompts to add it to your system. If all else fails, call your ISP’s help desk again and report the problem in detail. Often they’re a better source of advice than your modem’s manufacturer because they deal with modem problems day in, day out, all year long. With some luck you’ll get your problem fixed and be surfing in no time.

Basic Troubleshooting NETWORK COMPONENTS

2008-08-07T20:16:00.000+08:00

Cable Modems Broadband access has become so ubiquitous that you can get this high-speed ’Net connection almost everywhere. Most users rely on a cable modem or a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem for obtaining this fast connection, and these modems are almost always external. That means that these modems will take up some extra desk space, but it also makes it easier to find out what’s wrong and troubleshoot the devices. Cable Internet access typically offers transfer speeds of 1Mbps (megabit per second) or more that’s at least 20 times faster than the speediest dial-up modem. As their name implies, cable modems connect to the same coaxial cable that brings you your TV signal. Most of them then connect to your computer either via an Ethernet or a USB connection. On The Outside You can glean a lot of information about your cable modem just by looking at it. For example, the manufacturer name and model number will be on the device somewhere, usually on a sticker on the back. This can come in handy when you’re searching online for updates or troubleshooting help. The front of the cable modem usually features a series of indicator lights; the most commonly used ones say Power, Cable, Data, Ethernet, and USB.

The Cable light might also be called an Online light on some modems, and the Data light is sometimes divided into two lights for uploads and downloads. These LEDs (light-emitting diodes) can also be quite helpful when you’re troubleshooting as they will flash (or not flash) differently as a way of delivering error messages. The rear of the cable modem will have ports for the coaxial cable, a power supply, and Ethernet and USB cables. You’ll also often find a reset button more on that later. When your cable modem is working as it should, most of the front lights will be illuminated. Either the Ethernet or USB light should be off, depending on which connection was used to hook the cable modem up to your PC. The Power light should naturally be glowing steadily as should the Cable light, which indicates you have a connection to your Internet service provider. The Data light or the upload/download lights will flash depending on your traffic. Even if you’re not actively browsing the Web or downloading a file, these lights may flash as an application on your computer might be sending small bits of data to a Web site or the cable provider might be broadcasting data across the network. Most of the time, this is innocent background noise, but make sure that you haven’t been infected by a virus by keeping your antivirus software up-to-date. (Ironically, antivirus programs are also applications that will sometimes take part in this background “chatter.”) Problem Solving OK, now that you know what your cable modem should be doing when it’s working properly, let’s talk about some scenarios where everything is not going quite as smoothly. Having an always-on connection usually means you’ll never have to worry about your Internet connection. But as anyone who’s ever had a broadband connection knows, “always on” can also mean “sometimes off.” Before you call your cable guy or gal, there are a number of do-it-yourself fixes you can try to keep your cable modem and broadband connection working at top speed.

Problem: My cable modem doesn’t have a connection to the Internet.
Solution: The first thing you should check when your cable modem connection goes down is whether or not your television is working. Because the coaxial cable is bringing both the TV and Internet signals down the same pipe to your home, turning on your cable TV is a quick and easy way to make sure there’s not a major problem with your cable provider. If your cable television is working, then you’ll want to check all the connections to and from your cable modem to make sure that a cable hasn’t been accidentally unplugged or loosened. The indicator lights can give you some clues about which cables to check. If all the lights are on and all the cables are snugly affixed, reboot your PC. This simple act can solve a good chunk of computer problems all on its own. If this doesn’t help, you can also reset the modem at the same time. Resetting the modem is easy if there’s a reset button (usually you just hold it down for five seconds or so, or use a paper clip to press it if it’s a recessed reset button), but you may want to follow these steps to ensure a proper “hard” reset. First, unplug the power cord from the back of the modem. Next, unplug the connection to your PC, either USB or Ethernet. Then, wait a couple of minutes. You can reboot your PC again during this time just to ensure you’re working with a clean slate. Finally, reconnect the power cord and PC connection. You’ll need to wait a minute or two while the cable modem re-establishes communication with your provider and your PC, but this step often does the trick when your connection is down. If you still don’t have a connection to the Internet, you’ll need to call your provider to find out what’s going on. Often, it’ll have a voice menu letting you check on service in your area or telling you about current connection problems.

Problem: I can’t get my new cable modem to work.

Solution: Many cable service providers let you save an installation fee if you set up your cable modem yourself. Because it’s an external installation, even a computer novice can usually handle it smoothly. But there are problems you may run into during installation. If you can’t get your new cable modem up and running, make sure all the cable connections are tight. For example, make sure the Ethernet cord is snapped into the modem all the way (you’ll hear a snap), and that the coaxial cable is tightened securely. Reboot your system and reset the modem. Even if you’re doing the modem installation yourself, you may need to call your cable service provider during the process. They’ll need the serial number and MAC address number of your specific cable modem so it is allowed to sync up with their network.

Problem: My cable access is slow.

Solution: When cable modems were first introduced, the biggest criticism of cable Internet access was that you would share a connection with your neighbors. So theoretically, if all of your neighbors were online at the same time, you’d face a huge slowdown. This limitation has pretty much been overcome, but it’s still not uncharacteristic to see slowdowns during peak Internet usage time, such as the late afternoon and early evening when kids are home from school and adults are home from work. If you’re seeing slowdowns during other times of the day, however, it’s something that needs to be addressed. First, check your speed with an online test site such as www.bandwidthplace.com /speedtest or www.speakeasy.net /speedtest. Some of these sites also have comparative information so you can see how your Internet speed stands up to typical cable modem access in your area. If your cable access is slower than average, check with your provider. It may have different tiers of access and you might be signed up for the lowest one (but even the lowest cable modem tier should be plenty fast for browsing the Web and light online gaming). If your connection is really slow, you can try resetting your modem by following the directions above. If you’re still having serious slowdowns at odd times, talk to your Internet service provider. It may need to replace your cable modem or external wiring.

Problem: My cable connection keeps going in and out.

Solution: If your cable modem is having problems maintaining a constant connection to the Internet, it could be because the signal isn’t strong enough. If you have a splitter on the coaxial cable line (a y-shaped device used to connect two cables to one main cable line), this could be weakening the signal. Make sure that your cable modem has a dedicated coaxial line. Also, you’ll want to recheck all the connections to and from your modem and make sure that every cord is attached snugly. And it never hurts to reset the modem and reboot your computer. But if this intermittent connection goes on too long, you’ll need to contact your service provider. If the cable signal in the room where you have your cable modem isn’t strong enough, your service provider can add a signal booster that will beef it up so it’s strong enough for highspeed data transfer.

Problem: I’m afraid of getting hacked. How can I protect my Internet connection?

Solution: Cable modem connections, like other always-on broadband connections, are vulnerable to outside attacks. While these are fairly rare for most users, it’s still good to protect yourself when you have broadband access. First of all, make sure you’re running a software firewall. This application will prevent unwanted users from accessing your system. Windows XP has a firewall built in, so make sure it’s up and running. You can access it in the Control Panel by selecting Network and Internet Connections and then Windows Firewall (in the Classic view of the Control Panel, Windows Firewall is its own icon). If you’re not running WinXP, Zone Alarm is an excellent and free firewall available at www .zonelabs.com. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t have File and Print Sharing turned on if you’re not sharing files or printers over a network. In Windows 2000/XP, open the Control Panel (Start, Control Panel) and then click Network and Internet Connections and then Network Connections (if you’re in Classic view, just double-click Network Connections). Right-click the Local Area Connection icon and select Properties from the pop-up menu. In the window that appears, uncheck the box in front of File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks and then click OK. You should also have an antivirus application running to prevent infection or Trojan horse attacks. If you have antivirus software and your computer is acting suspiciously, run a full system scan to see if you’ve been infected. If you don’t currently have antivirus software installed, Grisoft’s AVG is an excellent and also free program available at www.grisoft.com.

Problem: My wireless network isn’t working through my cable modem.

Solution: A broadband connection such as cable is excellent for multiple computers connected to a wireless network. But it’s not uncommon for secondary PCs on a Wi-Fi network to have access problems while your main computer is still able to access the Internet through the cable modem. Although this isn’t a problem with your cable modem per se, you can often fix this problem by resetting your cable modem. If that doesn’t work, you’ll also want to reset your wireless router and any wireless adapters you’re using on other PCs in your home. This means rebooting all your notebook computers and desktops connected to the network, as well as unplugging the power from your wireless router and plugging it back in (or pressing the reset button if your router has one). It may take a few minutes for all your wireless equipment to reset all the connections, but this will fix most wireless network problems. Hopefully, our solutions to these problem scenarios can save you some lengthy phone calls with your cable service provider. It’s always better if you can troubleshoot a PC problem yourself. You save time and you always learn something in the process.

Basic Troubleshooting Screens & Monitors

2008-08-07T20:13:00.002+08:00

Unlike other PC components, when your monitor isn’t working exactly the way you expect it to, it’s relatively easy to see what’s wrong. Blank screens, oversaturated displays, wavy lines, and other issues are easy to spot. The cure, though, isn’t always as evident. Before trying a fix, first take stock of your device and note the manufacturer and model number. Then, either view the documentation that came with the monitor or visit the manufacturer’s Web site for detailed information. If your difficulty is with, say, improperly sized application windows, knowing the device’s specs may make all the difference when troubleshooting the problem. One spec to pay close attention to with an LCD monitor is the native resolution. Native resolution is the resolution the monitor is designed for, and it is based on the number of pixels in the display. When your monitor is set to its native resolution, the picture you see will be of the best quality possible. And, keep in mind that one of the more difficult tasks, when faced with a troublesome display, is figuring out whether the problem lies with the monitor itself or the graphics card. The graphics card, also known as a video card, is the device in your PC that controls all of the images and colors displayed on the monitor. Therefore, we’ll cover some monitor issues here first and give you some tips on when it might be necessary to troubleshoot your graphics card. If you suspect the problem may lie with the graphics card, we recommend you connect a different monitor to your PC to see if the problem persists. If it does, the issue likely stems from the graphics card and not the monitor. Or, you can plug the monitor into a different PC. If the problem still exists, it’s likely an issue with the monitor. Monitor Adjustments Sometimes the images on your monitor just don’t look quite right, but you can often overcome those issues by making a few monitor adjustments. Here are several ways you can fix these kinds of problems.

Problem: I can see the images on my display, but the display is either too light or too dark.
Solution: Get to know your onscreen display controls. Almost all monitors have an OSD (on-screen display) function, or a list of image quality adjustments, that is controlled by a button on the monitor’s bezel. OSDs let you change settings including contrast and brightness. Because OSDs vary from one manufacturer to the next, we recommend you view your product documentation or visit the manufacturer’s Web site for a description of how to use the OSD for your monitor. In addition, overhead lighting, especially fluorescent light, or outdoor light streaming into in your office may create a glare that makes the display appear washed out. (NOTE: With fluorescent lighting, try to sit facing the same direction as the length of the bulbs. This can help minimize eyestrain and headaches.)

Problem: The image isn’t centered on the screen, and there’s a black border along the sides (or one side) of the screen.

Solution: Along with controlling a display’s contrast and brightness, the on-screen display typically controls how the entire display appears on your screen. In a perfect world, the display will cover the screen entirely, with no black borders. Sometimes, however, the display is shifted horizontally or vertically. That’s where the OSD comes in handy, because it has a vertical or horizontal adjustment control. Again, if you don’t know how to work your display’s OSD, consult your monitor manufacturer’s documentation for instructions.

Problem: The image colors aren’t very sharp, or I see faint flickering, or my application windows are too large or too small.

Solution: While these problems may seem unconnected, they likely have one thing in common: the method for solving them. The Windows Display Properties feature regulates many items relating to how images appear on your display. Right-click the Desktop and select Properties from the context menu. In the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab. If your monitor’s image colors are somewhat muted, it could be that you aren’t taking full advantage of the available color depth. In the Color Quality dropdown menu, select the highest available option. For newer systems, this is 32-bit color. On the other hand, if the program windows are too large or too small, you’ll want to change the screen resolution settings. The optimal setting will depend upon several factors, including your eyesight and your monitor’s native resolution (if you’re using an LCD monitor). You’ll find the appropriate setting with a bit of trial and error. Remember that the higher the resolution, the sharper (and smaller) the images. Move the Screen Resolution slider bar in the desired direction and click Apply. If the problem is screen flicker, it could be that the refresh rate, or the rate at which the monitor redraws the screen, is set too low. Click Advanced in the Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Monitor tab and check the Hide Modes That This Monitor Cannot Display checkbox to select it. From the Screen Refresh Rate drop-down menu, select the highest available speed. Click OK. Close the Display Properties dialog box.

Problem: An “out of range” message appears on the LCD.

Solution: As with many monitor problems, if you see an “out of range” error message on your display, your first step should be to check the cables and make sure all connections are secure. If they are, it could be because your monitor is trying to display data but can’t because it doesn’t work with your computer’s settings. This is more typically the case with LCD screens, and it happens when the PC’s settings for the screen resolution and refresh rates do not work with the monitor. In this case, start the PC in Safe Mode. When booting the machine, press the F8 key until the Startup menu appears. Select Safe Mode. When the Desktop appears, open the Control Panel. In Classic View, double-click the Display icon. Select the Settings tab. Move the Screen Resolution slider bar to the monitor’s native resolution (check your monitor manufacturer’s instructions or Web site if you don’t know the monitor’s native resolution). Click Apply.

Problem: A snowy display, streaking colors, or other unclear display. I’ve tried the above solutions, but nothing seems to work.

Solution: Your monitor’s hardware isn’t the only thing that affects your display. Sometimes the fault lies with the graphics card, in which case no amount of fiddling with the monitor will fix an unacceptable display. We invite you to read “Basic Troubleshooting: Graphics Cards” for more information. The Monitor Is Not Working Properly. Some display problems are worse than simple image quality issues. What if your monitor doesn’t display anything at all, or mysteriously shuts down? Don’t worry, you can usually fix those problems too.

Problem: I turned on the computer, but all I see is a black screen.

Solution: When faced with a “dead” monitor, it may be easier to bring it back to life than you think. Before you place that frantic phone call to tech support, take a good look at your hardware setup. Even we (yes, we freely admit it) have been momentarily stumped by a blank screen, only to realize that a co-worker (or child, or spouse, or cat, or you name it) has hit the power switch on the monitor, inadvertently or perhaps intentionally turning the unit off. Check the cable that runs between the monitor and the PC, and unplug and replug it to verify the connections are solid. Also, check the power supply and ensure it is firmly connected both to the monitor and to the outlet.

Problem: The monitor tends to turn off unexpectedly.

Solution: Assuming the cable connecting the PC to the monitor is firmly in place (if not, this can also cause the monitor to shut down), the solution likely lies in the Power Saver settings. Windows PCs have a power saving feature that powers down your monitor after a predetermined amount of time. You may wish to disable this feature completely. To do so, open the Control Panel. (If using Windows XP, for the purpose of this exercise, switch to Classic View.) Double-click the Power Options icon. Select the Power Schemes tab. From the Turn Off Monitor drop-down menu, select Never. Click OK. (NOTE: Even if you want to keep the power saver feature enabled, keep in mind the system generates a power surge when the monitor turns back on. Setting the monitor to shut off after a short time, of, say, 10 minutes, is counterproductive.)

Problem: The images are fluctuating. One second they’re there, and the next they’re not.
Solution: If the connection between your PC and your monitor isn’t perfect, the data may have difficulty making its way from the computer to the screen. Take a look at the cable running between the PC and the monitor. Is it bent or crimped? Are the pins not straight? Are the connectors loose? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may need to replace or secure the cable.

Problem: I see dead pixels on my LCD monitor.

Solution: Dead pixels, or tiny spots on the monitor that do not display the correct color, can be an annoyance, and too many of them can be a significant problem. You shouldn’t attempt to fix this on your own, but you may be able to get a replacement monitor from the manufacturer. Manufacturers have varying standards for what constitutes an unacceptable monitor when it comes to dead pixels, and most of them lay out that information in black and white on their Web sites. HP, for instance, notes that LCD monitors under warranty are allowed a maximum of three bright pixel defects (a bright pixel on a dark background), five dark pixel defects (a dark pixel on a light background) or a combination of five pixel defects total. If your HP monitor falls above that threshold, you may be entitled to a replacement monitor.

Problem: I see distortion or wavy lines on the screen.

Solution 1: Computers are sensitive to other electronic devices. If you keep a fan near your desk, or another monitor, or a television, or another piece of electronic equipment, the device may be interfering with your monitor’s ability to do its job. We recommend you move such items several feet from the monitor. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s also possible the power source is the culprit. Some electricity lines, especially those in older homes, are susceptible to line noise problems. Try powering up your PC in another location.

Solution 2: Windows 98 users may run into similar “wavy line” difficulties with some makes and models of monitors. For example, if you’re using a MAG DX-1795 monitor, a solution to wavy lines on a display may be to manually install your monitor. Open the Control Panel via Start, Settings, and double-click Display. Click the Settings tab. Click Advanced. Select the Monitor tab. Clear the Automatically Detect Plug & Play Monitors checkbox and click Change. Click Next. Click Display A List Of All The Drivers In A Specific Location and click Next. Click Show All Hardware. In the Manufacturers box, select the monitor brand and choose the model in the Models box. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.

Problem: Photos and other images that look great on the display don’t look as good when I print them.

Solution:Invest in high-quality paper and fresh ink . . . and know that there’s no perfect solution to this problem. It’s just a fact of life; what you see on the screen does not always match what you print. This may not matter much when you’re printing text documents, but when you’re printing photographs, we know how frustrating it can be to spend time fiddling with photo-editing software to achieve the perfect color and light balance only to have the photo look far different from what you expect. Avoid using plain (non-photo) inkjet paper, which tends to show colors at their dullest. Purchase fresh ink. Study your monitor’s documentation and calibrate it so the colors display as accurately as possible. Lastly, look at your printer’s and image-editing software’s documentation and help files and experiment with various color options. If the latter becomes too laborious, you’re better off accepting the discrepancies between the monitor output and the printer output.

Basic Troubleshooting RAM

2008-08-07T20:01:00.001+08:00

When you boot your OS (operating system) or launch an application, your computer grabs data off the hard drive and stores most of it in solid state RAM, or random-access memory. RAM is much faster than a hard drive or other storage medium, so it makes a computing session more responsive and the user more productive. However, if there’s a minuscule defect anywhere in a RAM module’s silicon chips, and it drops a 0 or a 1, the file stored in that location becomes corrupted. The result is that your OS or application will crash, freeze, or report errors. This article tells you how to troubleshoot RAM with universal testing tips as well as solutions for common problems. For stability reasons, we’ll assume you’re running your RAM at its rated speed, voltage, and timing specifications. You can find these by searching for the RAM’s model number on the manufacturer’s site, and you can verify and/or adjust them in many motherboard’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) Setup (during bootup, press DELETE, ESC, or the indicated key). The Very Model Windows won’t tell you a DIMM’s (dual inline memory module) brand and model number, so shut off your PC and pop open your computer case. Remove one of your RAM modules by pressing the retention clips on either end of the module downward (toward the motherboard). As the clips pivot away from the DIMM, they’ll simultaneously lift it out of the slot. Hopefully a label on the module’s chips or metal heat spreader will tell you the module’s brand and model number, such as Corsair CMX256A-3200 C2. There may be several similar alphanumerical markings, so be prepared to search for each marking on the manufacturer’s site until you can confirm which one is the model number. Don’t look up the numbers printed on individual memory chips, however, as most DIMM manufacturers build their modules using RAM chips from semiconductor foundries such as Samsung.

Universal Troubleshooting Steps Bad RAM can manifest itself in various error messages, application hangs, and OS crashes. If malware scans come up clean, System Restore doesn’t help, and your computer’s power supply is known to be good, RAM should be your prime suspect in this case. Memtest86 (www.memtest86.com) is free RAM testing software that’s extremely easy to use. After you download it, you can create a bootable CD or floppy diskette with it, depending on the version you choose. Restart your system with the bootable medium in its drive, and Memtest86 will automatically test your memory until you press ESC to stop it. (Make sure your floppy or CD/DVD drive comes before the hard drive in your PC’s boot device order in the BIOS.) You should allow the utility to run at least one complete pass, which may take most of an hour. We downloaded Memtest86 3.2 as an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) file by clicking the self-explanatory link. We then used the free IMGBurn utility (www.imgburn.com) to create a bootable CD. At this writing, the link to the floppy version’s handful of files was called Download – Pre-Compiled Memtest86 v3.2 Installable From Windows And DOS. To make a bootable diskette with it, run the file called Install .BAT. Both Memtest86 downloads are compressed in the ZIP format, so if your OS can’t open ZIPs as WinXP and Vista can, use a compression utility such as WinZip (www.winzip.com) to extract Memtest86’s ISO or files.

Basic Troubleshooting Processors

2008-08-07T19:58:00.001+08:00

Technology writers often refer to the processor as a computer’s “brain” because it handles much of your system’s data processing. The similarity doesn’t end there: as with a brain, the processor is extremely fragile. You can damage it by bending its pins, by gouging its protective casing, or by running the processor without a heat sink. Make & Model If your computer can boot into Windows, you won’t have much trouble identifying your CPU’s model number. The easiest way to find it is to right-click the My Computer icon on your Desktop and then click Properties. When the System Properties window opens, the General tab’s Computer section lists your CPU’s manufacturer, model number, and speed. Is Your CPU The Problem? If your PC has an ailing CPU, it will probably display some dramatic symptoms: Windows may crash or freeze, or your system may not even start its POST (power on self test) when you boot up the PC. In some cases, a CPU that isn’t sitting properly in its socket will run Windows very slowly. Unfortunately, a defective motherboard may have similar symptoms, which makes it difficult to identify the source of the problem (unless, of course, you have a similar CPU or motherboard on hand, in which case you can swap it with your system’s current part). If you’re not sure whether your CPU or motherboard is the problem, read this article and see “Basic Troubleshooting: Motherboards”. You choose the article that seems to fits your PC’s trouble and follow its troubleshooting steps. If one article doesn’t solve the problem, you’ve just eliminated that part as the trouble source; now follow the other article’s steps.

Problem: I recently installed a new processor. Now my PC runs slowly.

Solution: Reseat the processor in the motherboard’s CPU socket. Whether you installed a new CPU or a new heat sink, you may not have seated the processor correctly. This problem affects both CPUs that have pins and CPUs that lack pins; if the processor sits at even a slight angle, the heat sink won’t sit flush against the CPU’s protective shield. Even small gaps between the heat sink and the processor will reduce your heat sink’s ability to adequately cool your CPU. Remove your heat sink and then inspect the CPU and CPU socket. Although motherboard sockets vary by motherboard manufacturer (and socket type), most have a lever or similar mechanism that locks the processor firmly into the socket. Lift this lever and then press the edges of the processor gently to make sure it is flush with the socket. Next, snap the lever back into place, according to your motherboard’s instructions. Be sure to secure the lever gently to avoid jolting the CPU out of place. Next, you’ll need to remove the thermal paste (or thermal pad) from the top of the CPU and bottom of the heat sink. To remove the old thermal material, drip rubbing alcohol onto a lint-free cloth (PC enthusiasts often use coffee filters) and then rub the CPU and heat sink lightly. Once the alcohol dries, you can apply new thermal paste (follow the thermal paste’s instructions to make sure you apply the appropriate amount of paste). If your old heat sink included a thermal pad, instead of thermal paste, consider buying a new heat sink: once the thermal pad softens (from your CPU’s heat), it fills the heat sink’s microscopic divots. Thoroughly removing a used thermal pad is more difficult than removing used thermal paste. Finally, reattach the heat sink according to its instructions. Make sure the heat sink sits flush against the processor. Before you power on your system, check to see if the heat sink’s power cable is connected to the motherboard’s connector (your heat sink won’t do much good if the fan doesn’t spin to dissipate the heat). If your computer still runs slowly, the CPU isn’t the problem. See “Basic Troubleshooting: Your PC Starts Slowly” or “Basic Troubleshooting: Your PC Runs Slowly Or Erratically” to check out other troubleshooting tips.

Problem: My computer sometimes crashes or freezes, or displays other odd behavior.

Solution: Check for and fix overheating problems. Heat is your computer’s worst enemy, whether you live in hot or moderate climates. If your PC doesn’t have a strong airflow, susceptible components, such as the hard drives, video cards, and the CPU, will behave erratically or slowly. Although newer CPUs have much better protection against heat than their older counterparts (most new processors have heat shields that cover the processor die and help rapidly distribute heat to the PC’s heatsink), all processors suffer when their temps rise too high. We’ll show you how to identify common heat issues.

Step 1: Check the CPU temp via the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). Your motherboard has a built-in feature that determines your processor’s temperature. Although CPU manufacturers offer max temperatures for individual processor lines, you can generally expect your CPU to operate efficiently at temperatures in the 40 to 45 degree Celsius range. To check your CPU temperature, press DELETE as the PC boots to enter your BIOS. When the BIOS appears, use the arrow keys to find your BIOS’ Status or Health section, which should display your CPU’s temperature.

Step 2: Check the CPU heatsink/fan. Your processor’s metal heatsink quickly pulls heat away from the CPU. The fan, which sits at the top (or, on some models, the side) of the heatsink, forces cool air through the heatsink’s fins to remove heat from the heatsink. If your heatsink fan power cable detaches from the motherboard, the fan won’t spin and the processor will quickly overheat. Make sure the heatsink fan’s power connector is plugged into the motherboard connector marked CPU and then power on your system without replacing the PC’s side panel so you can make sure that the fan is spinning.

Step 3: Dust your PC. Although a PC that stands on the floor will suck up more dirt and pet hair than a PC on a desk, your system is vulnerable to dust no matter where it stands. Dust collects on components and traps the heat, reducing the effectiveness of your PC’s fans. Speaking of those fans, many PCs have a filter that sits between the PC’s front fans and its front panel. If you haven’t cleaned this filter (you can usually pull it from the bottom of the front panel), your dirt-laden filter may be causing airflow problems. Use a can of compressed air to clean out your system; be sure to spray out the spaces between the CPU heat sink’s fins. Step 4: Check your system’s airflow. Although fancy PCs sometimes have exotic cooling systems, such as special fan designs or water-cooling, most PCs have a standard cooling setup: one or two intake fans at the lower-front portion of the PC suck cool air through the front panel and push it over the hard drives and into the system. Then, a fan at the upper back portion of the case sucks the internal air (including the hot air coming from the CPU heat sink) and exhausts it out the rear of the PC. Make sure your fans are functioning and that cables aren’t disrupting the airflow from the front to the back of the PC. You can use plastic cable ties to bunch cables together and run them away from the PC’s center. Buying A New Heat sink Although new CPUs generally include a heat sink, many PC equipment sellers offer OEM CPUs that don’t have heat sinks or traditional packaging. Whether you’re buying a heat sink for an OEM CPU or simply want to replace your current heat sink, you’ll want to consider a couple heat sink features as you shop. For one thing, make sure your new heat sink supports the motherboard’s processor socket. If you buy a new AMD Athlon 64 processor that uses the AM2 motherboard socket, for example, you’ll need to buy a compatible heat sink. The heat sink’s packaging lists the sockets it supports. Also, consider a copper heat sink (or an aluminum heat sink that has copper heat pipes). Although aluminum is less expensive than copper, it can’t dissipate heat as efficiently. If you’re worried that your current aluminum heat sink isn’t providing enough CPU cooling, try a copper device.

Basic Troubleshooting Power Supplies

2008-08-07T19:46:00.004+08:00

Many computer users never know what a PSU (power supply unit) is until they have a problem with one. Most of the time, a power supply just works, which is why users who don’t tinker with their PCs may have never noticed that they own one. If your computer suddenly stops working, starts to generate errors, or randomly shuts down (especially after you install a new device), the PSU should be one of the first suspects on your list. Technically, what we call a power supply is actually a switching transformer. It transforms AC (alternating current) into DC (direct current). It also reduces the voltage from 110 volts to 12V, 5V, and 3.3V to run the CPU, hard drives, and other devices. Instead of using a “wall wart” or a black adapter in the middle of a power cord, like a notebook or an external hard drive, a computer keeps its power supply inside the case. It’s the device that the main power cable connects to. In a tower-style case, you’ll usually see the power supply near the top and rear. It’s a metal box, about 6 inches wide by 3.5 inches tall by several inches long, with a mass of wires coming out of the front of it. Most PSUs have one or more fans that vent warm air out the back of the PC. Identify The Suspect Should you need to verify your PSU’s brand and model to look up its specs or seek tech support, you’ll need to read its label. This probably will require you to open your PC’s case. Power supplies are marketed primarily by wattage ratings. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because in general, a novice can pretty much assume that a current- generation PSU with x number of watts and the right connectors will handle his computer’s needs, and more often than not, he’ll be right. There’s no real penalty (and even some power saving benefits to be had) from purchasing a power supply with “too much” wattage, save a higher price. On the other hand, manufacturers don’t all report their products’ wattage the same way, and there are many caveats and electrical formulae behind that deceptively simple number. Performance enthusiasts and gamers in particular should look deeper into a PSU’s specs, especially the temperature (such as 50 degrees Celsius, or 122 degrees Fahrenheit) at which the manufacturer logged those specs. If the rated temperature is lower than the typical temp inside a running computer, such as 25 C, the PSU will be less efficient and provide less power during normal use. The hotter the temperatures, the weaker a power supply will be due to increased resistance. Also, the number of amperes on each 12V rail (separate circuit) is important because high-end graphics cards require relatively large amounts of power. Put It To The Test If you suspect your power supply has failed, you can check it with an inexpensive testing device. One example with a long name sells for $14.99 at www.frozencpu.com/psu-165.html. If you have access to another power supply with sufficient wattage and the same connectors, try it in place of the old one. You don’t have to physically install the second unit in the case, but you do have to disconnect the old one from each device and use the power connections from the spare PSU. Alternatively, a repair shop can run a quick test for you with a known good power supply. Powerful Problems Most power supply troubles stem from one device or upgrade too many, so several of the following problems and solutions overlap to some degree.

Problem: The PC doesn’t turn on.

Solution: Before you try a different PSU or a tester as described above, check that the master switch on the back of the PSU is turned on. Make sure the cord is firmly plugged in on both ends, and that your surge protector is powered on. If the surge protector has tripped due to a power spike, its reset button may be sticking out. If so, buy a new one. Most consumer surge protectors aren’t meant to be reused after they’ve taken one for the team. If other devices or room lights aren’t working either, check your home’s breaker switches. If none have tripped, try another outlet, then another power cord. Your next steps require a tester device or a spare PSU as outlined above, or a repair shop.

Problem: Brownouts, weird errors, or a dead PC since a new device was added.

Solution: A common problem with a premade computer from a major manufacturer is a power supply that’s just good enough for the devices that shipped with the PC. Add a new multicore processor or a hot new video card or two, and you might find that the computer works erratically under load, if at all. If your upgraded system dies every time you start up a taxing game such as F.E.A.R., for example, you might need a stronger PSU. And if your PC doesn’t work at all after the upgrade, either the new device is defective enough to cause a major electrical problem, or the total wattage your PC now requires to run is more than the PSU can supply. Also, make sure that your PC’s fans provide enough airflow. As mentioned above, a hot power supply doesn’t provide as much current as a cooler one, all else being equal. Note that your power supply may be ready and willing to supply more current to devices that run on 5V or 3.3V power, but that doesn’t matter if the 12V devices overwhelm the 12V rail’s capability. Most power-hungry devices, from the CPU to the graphics card to hard drives and DVD/CD drives, require 12 volts to run. For this reason, many servers start up their hard drives in a staggered sequence so that they don’t overtax the PSU. This feature is possible with SATA (Serial ATA) hard drives, but as yet, staggered spinup isn’t commonly supported in desktop PCs.

Problem: The PSU sparks, makes noise, or smokes.

Solution: Sometimes, power supplies die quietly. At other times, they go out with a bit of drama. If there’s a popping noise, a burning smell, smoke, or sparks when your PC suddenly stops working (usually when you turn it on), immediately unplug it. Make sure that nothing is on fire, then open the computer case. See whether anything looks scorched or blackened, especially on the motherboard. If not, perhaps your power supply failed. Your main concern now is to make sure that it didn’t take other devices with it. If you have a spare PSU, replace the old one and its power cord. Only connect the replacement to the motherboard, the video card (if necessary), and the floppy or CD drive. Plug in your computer, insert a bootable floppy or disc, and try to start your PC. If possible, use a floppy made with MemTest86 (www.memtest86.com) because this utility will test your CPU, RAM (try installing only one RAM module at a time if you encounter errors), and motherboard for problems. If your PC boots, and a few minutes of MemTest86 indicates no problems, shut the system off. Reconnect one device (such as the hard drive) and boot the PC. If that device seems OK, repeat the process until you’ve discovered any damaged components. Hopefully, you’ll only have to replace the old power supply. Don’t forget to throw away the dead PSU’s power cord, too.

Problem: The PC’s case fans are too loud.

Solution: Some PSUs’ “Fan Only” line supplies 12V to fans with Molex connectors, which runs them at full speed; others send a lower voltage for quieter operation albeit with less airflow. Some power supplies adjust the power on the Fan Only circuit by case temperature. If your Molex-style fans run too loud, install a fan controller in a drive bay. You’ll find them on major reseller sites such as Newegg (www.newegg.com) as well as on enthusiast sites such as FrozenCPU.com. Intrepid tinkerers with pin removal tools from Frozen- CPU.com might reverse the pins in the fan’s connector so that it takes 5V (from the red wire) instead of 12V (from the yellow wire). Most fans will run very quietly on 5V, although they won’t move as much air. If you do this, switch the pins for the black ground wires on the inside of the connector, too. Note that bigger fans, such as 120mm, may not run on 5V.

Problem: Your computer requires connectors the PSU doesn’t have.

Solution: Current PSUs have a variety of plugs to support recent and near-future motherboard requirements, such as a 24-pin main power connector that splits off 4 pins to fit in an older 20-pin socket. On the other hand, a cutting-edge PSU might not have a plug that a 6-year-old motherboard needs. For older motherboard connections, you will need to research and buy a PSU with the correct plugs. Device connections are more forgiving. You’ll find many inexpensive adapters for sale online or at computer stores. Many adapters, such as Molexto- PCI-Express and Molexto- SATA, are included with particular graphics cards or motherboards. Note that some SATA hard drives can accept either SATA or Molex power connectors, but you should never attach both to a drive at the same time.

Problem: Molex connectors don’t fit together easily.

Solution:This problem seems to crop up more and more in recent years, and it happens with PSUs from well-respected vendors as well as value brands. The trouble seems to be that the male and female metal pins inside the connectors just don’t seem to fit as snugly as in Molex connectors of yesteryear. Each pin has “wings” that flare out after the pin is inserted into the plastic connector during manufacture. These wings act like the barb on a fishhook, making it difficult for the pin to come back out of the connector. If OEMs make the pins out of thinner metal to cut costs, the wings won’t be as rigid. The result is pins that “float” around in the connector instead of staying centered. Obviously, this makes it harder to connect two plugs. Try grasping the juncture of the wires and the base of the connector using your thumb and forefinger. Usually, this puts pressure on the pins so that they all point in roughly the same direction. As you attach the connector to a device’s plug, wiggle it a little. Assuming the pins aren’t damaged, the connector should slide in. Shopping For A New One Power supplies are meant to be replaced, not fixed, so troubleshooting a PSU usually ends in shopping for a new one. Whatever you do, don’t go cheap with an off-brand. As with RAM, a low-quality power supply means you’re more likely to experience errors and hangs, with reboots and random shutdowns thrown in. Stick with a good brand such as Corsair (www.corsairmemory.com), Enermax (www.enermaxusa.com), FSP (www.fsp-group.com.tw), OCZ (www.ocztechnology.com), or PC Power & Cooling (www.pcpower.com). A long warranty is a good indicator of relative quality. A PSU in the 400W to 600W range will be more than enough for most users for the next several years. Support for EPS12V ensures good compatibility with your next motherboard upgrade. An efficiency rating of 80 to 85% or better means your electricity bill shouldn’t suffer, and a noise rating of 28dB or less means your new PSU’s fans probably won’t make your PC any louder. If you play PC games, shop for a PSU labeled “SLI Ready” and/or “Crossfire Certified”. These indicate that the power supply meets the requirements to run two video cards simultaneously, should you ever want to upgrade your PC in this way for faster 3D performance. More powerful graphics card combos require beefier PSUs, so check specific card/PSU compatibility at Nvidia’s site (www.nvidia.com) for SLI or AMD’s site (www.amd.com) for Crossfire. Of course, many power supplies with sufficient amperage (at least 17A on each 12V rail) and connectors will run dual graphics cards even without these certifications.

Basic Troubleshooting Ports

2008-08-07T19:29:00.003+08:00

You wouldn’t be able to interact with your PC very well at all if it weren’t for PC ports. Ports are the pathways for connecting hardware devices to your computer. Lots of important devices use ports, such as monitors, keyboards, and printers. With the advent of the USB port, it became easier to connect a wide variety of gadgetry to your computer. Now you can transfer photos from a digital camera, connect a flash drive, and synchronize your PDA through USB ports. How To Obtain Port Information To identify the types of ports installed on your computer, you can check the specifications that came with your PC. You can also check the PC manufacturer’s support Web site to find information about ports and connections included with the model of your computer. But the most reliable method of checking port information is the Windows Device Manager. To open Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab (if present), and click Device Manager. For parallel and serial port information, click Ports in the list that appears in the Device Manager window. For USB information, click Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Double-click an item to display its Properties dialog box with additional details about the port. Port Problem Or Hardware Problem? Because you use ports to connect peripherals such as printers and PDAs to your computer, inoperable hardware is a symptom of a port problem. Try resetting the port by restarting your PC and reconnecting the device. If this doesn’t work, it’s time for some trial-and error troubleshooting. To try to determine whether the port or a malfunctioning device is causing the problem, connect the hardware device to another computer. If it works, the problem may be related to the port. If you don’t have another computer available, you can try plugging a different device into the port. For example, if you plug a keyboard into a USB port and it’s not working, try a USB mouse or flash drive. If it works, you can focus on troubleshooting the nonworking peripheral device and not the port. General Port Troubleshooting

Problem: My hardware works when it’s connected to a different PC’s USB/parallel/serial port, but not on this PC. What should I do next?

Solution: If you determine the probable cause is not a hardware issue, the next steps are to check the computer’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) settings and to check for upgrades to the computer’s BIOS. To check the BIOS setup screens, you press a key or key combination as your PC is starting, before Windows begins to load. Common setup access keys are DELETE, ESC, and F function keys. If you’re not sure which key you need to press to enter your PC’s BIOS, watch for a message as your system starts for the key(s) to press. Repeatedly pressing the key(s) as your computer is starting helps to ensure you press them at the correct moment. When the BIOS setup screens appear, take care not to inadvertently change settings. The on-screen display should note how to exit the screens without saving changes, if you need to. As you review the BIOS information, look for the BIOS version and write it down. You can check the manufacturer’s Web site for BIOS update instructions after you exit the BIOS setup. Next, check the BIOS settings for the port you are troubleshooting.

Port settings are normally located in the Advanced menu. If your computer is newer, the BIOS setup screens may not include port information. If that’s the case, simply exit the BIOS to continue the PC startup. If the BIOS setup screens contain settings for the port you are troubleshooting, check to make sure the port is enabled. You may need to enable additional features, depending on the hardware device you want to connect to the port. For example, if you are working with a parallel port for your printer, you may need to enable bidirectional capabilities in the BIOS. ECP (Extended Capability Port) mode is a bidirectional parallel port standard that lets modern printers communicate with your PC and vice versa. Check your documentation for instructions. If the port continues to malfunction after you check the BIOS information, you can move on to troubleshooting Windows settings with the Device Manager. To open Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. For parallel and serial port information, click Ports in the list that appears and expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers for a USB issue. (NOTE: If you are using Windows 98/Me, check the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at support .microsoft.com/kb/133240/EN-US for details about using Device Manager.) In the Device Manager, look for error messages or symbols (such as an exclamation point on a yellow background) next to the controller or near items in the expanded list. If a message or symbol does not appear, check each item in the expanded list by right-clicking it and clicking Properties. Check the Device Status box to determine if there is an error associated with the device. If so, follow the suggested solution. Troubleshooting USB Ports

Problem: When I use my external USB hub, Windows does not recognize the device I attached to it or it stops working.

Solution: External USB hubs are either self-powered (obtain power from an AC/electrical outlet) or buspowered (obtain power from the USB port on the PC that it’s plugged into). Bus-powered hubs can only handle low-power USB devices that use 100mA (milliamps) or less, such as mice, keyboards, joysticks, or USB devices that are self-powered (use an AC power connector). They can’t handle devices that require 100 to 500mA of power, such as video cameras, scanners, and external drives. If the device is a high-power device, attach it to a USB port on the PC or purchase and install a self-powered hub. Or you can try distributing high-power and buspowered USB devices across your PC’s USB ports, so that not all highpower devices are on the same external hub.

Problem: None of my USB devices work when plugged into the USB port on my computer.
Solution: Verify that the power requirements of the USB port are not exceeded. USB devices can draw a maximum of 500mA per connection. If a device attempts to draw more than this, Windows may disable the port until the system power cycles. In addition, if the device draws less than 50mA, the port never becomes active. Check the Power tab in USB Root Hub properties to check the power usage. To access the Power tab, open the Device Manager, expand Universal Serial Bus Controllers, and doubleclick the USB Root Hub. In the Properties dialog box, click the Power tab and check the Hub Information area for details about power usage. Repeat this process for each USB Root Hub listed in the Device Manager. Printer (Parallel) Ports & Serial Ports

Problem: My printer won’t print to the parallel port.

Solution: To determine whether a printing problem is due to a faulty parallel port, try sending data to the parallel port through the command prompt. Click Start, click Run, type command in the Open box, and press ENTER. In the command prompt window that displays, type dir > lpt1 and press ENTER. You may need to type this more than once to send enough data to the printer to cause a page to print. If a page does print, the printing problem is not related to the parallel port, and you should troubleshoot the printer. See “Basic Troubleshooting: Inkjet Printers” and “Basic Troubleshooting: Laser Printers” for more information about dealing with printer problems.

Problem:I connected a serial device to my computer, and Windows is not detecting it.

Solution: The problem may be that Windows is misinterpreting the hardware as a nonserial device and is not enabling the port. Microsoft has created a tool to help you enable and disable serial ports. For a link to download the tool, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 819036 at support.microsoft .com/kb/819036.

Troubleshooting Motherboards

2008-04-30T08:25:00.001+08:00

If momma ain’t happy, no one’s happy. That old joke is just as true for computers as it is for people, at least where the computer’s motherboard is involved. The motherboard is the large circuit board that every other computer component connects to, and it serves as the sole communications conduit between those devices. When the memory banks need some data from the hard drive, when a video game needs information from the video card, a key is pressed, the mouse is moved, or any other action is performed by any piece of hardware, the motherboard routes the output to the appropriate input. This universal role means that when something goes wrong with the computer, it could be a bad piece of connected hardware, or it could be a malfunctioning motherboard.

The motherboard is hard to miss when you open the computer’s case. It holds the expansion cards, the memory modules and the processor, and also has connections for the cables coming from your hard drive, CD or DVD drive, and other components. Check to see that all of the expansion cards and memory modules are fully seated in their respective slots and that all locking clips or other restraining devices are completely closed. Cards and memory modules are not properly seated if a large portion of the metal contacts on the bottom of the unit are visible above the motherboard slot, or if metal contacts at one end stick up more than those at the other end, indicating that the unit is seated crooked in the slot. Look closely at the metal contacts on expansion and memory slots for signs of corrosion. Also, look for corrosion and signs of bulging on all of the barrel-shaped capacitors on the motherboard, as these types of damage indicate the need for a motherboard replacement.

If any part of the motherboard is cracked, scratched, or has a soldered-on component that has broken loose, a complete replacement is also in order. Finally, make sure the ends of all cables are pressed completely into their respective slots. Moving internal cords and cables out of the way to make room when removing or adding components can sometimes pull cables loose, causing the hardware on the other end of that cable to malfunction.

The best place to find out the exact motherboard your computer uses is to look in the documentation that came with the system, but there are a number of free tools that provide even more information than the manual does. One of the best tools is System Information For Windows (free; www.gtopala.com). Download the latest version, double-click the file, and click the Motherboard entry in the Hardware section. The most important information you’ll need when troubleshooting is the model and SMBus type. It is highly recommended that you visit the computer or motherboard manufacturer’s Web site every few months to download and install the latest motherboard driver software, and you’ll need to know the exact model of the motherboard to obtain the right software to perform this upgrade.

Keeping the driver up to- date helps eliminate bugs in your system, improves hardware compatibility, and may even boost your computer’s overall performance. Motherboard problems are notoriously difficult to troubleshoot because many of the problems experienced with them are also associated with particular hardware devices. For example, motherboard problems can cause system lockups, but trouble with memory, video cards, and power supplies can also freeze the computer. If the computer refuses to turn on, it may be a motherboard issue, but it is more likely to be a problem with the hard drive or with Windows. Damage to the motherboard can cause hardware malfunctions, and improper motherboard settings can cause hardware incompatibilities, but faulty hardware generally is to blame. Despite their complexity, motherboards are pretty reliable if the drivers are up-to-date, and you should always troubleshoot other hardware before focusing your attention on the motherboard. Motherboards are very susceptible to damage from static electricity so be sure to touch a grounded piece of metal before you start poking around. Better still, get a grounded wrist strap, which should be available at nearly every computer store, and always wear it while working inside the computer’s case.

Problem: Nothing happens when I press the power button.
Solution: In rare cases, the power button itself breaks, so open the case and inspect the button for damage before trying anything else. If that isn’t the cause, then the motherboard may be fried due to electrical damage, but this problem most often happens after you install a hardware component and accidentally unseat the motherboard’s internal power plug from its socket. The size and shape of this socket (and sometimes there are two separate sockets) varies depending on the type and age of your motherboard, but the documentation that came with your computer should let you know where to look. You are looking for the power supply’s ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) plug, which has either 20 or 24 pins, and the ATX socket, which has an equal number of holes to accommodate the power pins. Some motherboards that have 20-pin ATX sockets also have a 4-pin ATX socket located elsewhere on the board, and both of these must be powered by separate cables for the motherboard to function. All you need to do is make sure the power plugs are fully seated in the sockets and the computer should boot.

Problem: When I press the power button, nothing appears on the monitor and the computer begins to beep.
Solution: Those beeps you hear are diagnostic codes that indicate the motherboard has detected some serious trouble. The beeping patterns and their meanings differ depending on the type of motherboard you have, so you’ll need to refer to the motherboard’s documentation or contact the manufacturer to find out the specifics.

Problem: When I press the power button, the computer seems to boot (the fans run properly, for example) but nothing appears on the monitor.
Solution: This indicates a problem with the video card, the monitor, or the motherboard’s integrated video or video expansion card slot. Check the cable between the video output and the monitor, make sure the monitor is turned on and set to the appropriate input, and reboot the computer. If there is still no video, open the case to make sure your add-in video card (if you have one) is seated properly and secured into place. If that’s not the problem, remove the video card according to the instructions it came with, connect the monitor to the motherboard’s integrated video output (if your motherboard has an integrated video output not all do), making sure to enable the appropriate BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) setting as detailed in the computer’s manual, and see if that works. If your system uses the motherboard’s integrated video rather than a separate video card, install a video card in the motherboard’s video expansion slot and change the BIOS setting to bypass the integrated video hardware. If none of those options work, you may need to replace your system’s motherboard. You can learn more about tweaking a BIOS in “Basic Troubleshooting: BIOSes” at www.smartcomputing .com/rs1101/BIOS.

Problem: I just installed a new video card or sound card but the new one isn’t detected.
Solution: Many motherboards have integrated sound and video hardware, and the problem in this scenario is that the motherboard isn’t switching audio or video responsibilities over to the new hardware device. To force your motherboard to relinquish control to the new add-in card, you must disable the integrated audio or video hardware using the motherboard’s BIOS settings. This procedure differs from motherboard to motherboard so you’ll need to consult the computer’s manual.

Problem: I have to install a new hardware component or remove an old one, but the force needed to insert or remove it seems excessive, and I’m afraid I’ll crack the board.
Solution: No component should cause the motherboard to flex when it is inserted or removed, let alone cause enough force to threaten cracking the board. If this problem arises when inserting memory modules, check the edges of the memory slot to make sure any locking clips are completely opened. Most memory module clips are designed to lock into place automatically when the module is fully seated in the slot, but you may need to manually push each clip into its completely locked position. Another common problem when inserting memory modules is that some are designed to be pressed straight down into the slot while others are designed to be inserted at a slight angle and then swung into a vertical position, where they lock into place. Look at the instructions that came with the modules or the documentation that came with the motherboard to see which insertion method your memory slots require. When inserting expansion cards, particularly video cards, look for locking clips that must be opened before the card is inserted or held open as the card is inserted. Most modern motherboards have video card slots with locking mechanisms that must be manually held open when a card is removed, so look for one before accidentally applying excessive force when you remove the card. Never rock an expansion card or memory module back and forth to get it into place or you risk damaging the metal contacts, and never put pressure on the side of the card or the memory module or you’ll risk breaking off the delicate plastic slot. Don’t touch any metal contacts on the motherboard or the hardware, and be extremely careful when screwing or unscrewing expansion cards into place, because if the screwdriver slips it can scratch and ruin the motherboard.

Problem: I just installed a new hardware component that requires a power connection, and now the PC won’t boot or reboots itself at random times.
Solution: Inexpensive computers often come with very basic power supplies that can’t provide enough electricity to accommodate the fastest video cards, multiple hard drives, or other power-hungry components. Unfortunately the total wattage ratings most power supply manufacturers apply to their products overstate the amount of electricity they can consistently output, so even if you add up all of the wattage used by your components and it comes in under the stated output of the power supply, these types of problems can still happen. First you should remove the newlyadded hardware and see if the computer runs in its original configuration. If it does, you’ll likely need to upgrade to a new power supply or replace the new component with something that uses less wattage. Be sure to check carefully with the manufacturer before ordering a new power supply because some motherboards, like those found in a lot of Dell systems, use proprietary connections that prevent the installation of a third-party power supply.

Problem: I installed more memory but Windows doesn’t recognize it.
Solution: Bad memory modules aren’t very common, but test the computer with a different module if possible to see if the one you originally installed was a dud. The most common cause of this problem is that some motherboards require that memory modules be installed in pairs. Most RIMM memory modules, for example, must be installed in pairs that match exactly in speed and capacity or they won’t work. Newer systems that support dual-channel DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) modules will work when the memory modules are installed singly, but performance is enhanced (sometimes dramatically) if you install matched pairs of RAM modules instead (i.e. you get better performance using two 512MB modules than from using a single 1GB module, even though the overall memory capacity remains the same). Check the manual carefully when installing memory to make sure you place the modules in the correct slots.

Problem: The computer never keeps track of time properly.
Solution: Motherboards have a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) memory area that is used to store the time, date, and essential data the PC used when starting up. The CMOS must be constantly powered to retain data, even when the PC is turned off or unplugged, so it is attached to a small battery. Open the case, find the small silver battery on the motherboard, and remove it carefully. Take it to a battery or electronics store to find an exact replacement, put the new one in, and access the BIOS or CMOS setup screen to make any necessary changes to the BIOS, as those settings are lost when the battery is removed. If you don’t see a silver battery, the motherboard may use a soldered- on battery, in which case you’ll need to have it professionally replaced or purchase a new motherboard.

Troubleshooting Hard Drives

2008-04-30T08:13:00.002+08:00

Your PC’s hard drive affects nearly everything your computer does. It stores your operating system, your applications, your games, and your personal files. If it “forgets” a few bytes of data, you’ll get errors, hangs, and possibly a loss of any documents or photos you haven’t backed up yet. In addition, your PC hits your hard drive for data much more often than the slower CD/DVD drive or Internet connection. In a very real sense, then, your hard drive is your computer’s main bottleneck, because it’s the slowest data-moving device your system commonly accesses. If your hard drive slows down, your entire computer becomes less responsive and fun to use. And if it breaks, nothing else works. This article delves into basic troubleshooting for these mass storage devices. We’ll get into solutions for some common maladies for single (non- RAID [redundant array of independent disks]) hard drives, as well as a few relatively uncommon ones. Drive(rs) License Or Other Form Of ID Before you start to research a potential problem, jot down the model numbers of the parts involved, such as the hard drive and controller chip or card. You may be able to ID all the parts involved without cracking open your computer case. If your PC uses a controller card rather than a controller built onto the motherboard to run your hard drive, however, you may need to open the case to check the card’s brand and model number. In the Device Manager (right-click My Computer, choose Properties, and click the Hardware tab), look under Disk Drives for your hard drive’s model number, such as HTS 548040M9AT00. A Google search of that number will likely lead you to the drive manufacturer’s site and an ID of the drive’s advertised name, such as Travelstar 5K80.

Consumer desktop hard drives come with either IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics, also called ATA [Advanced Technology Attachment], PATA [Parallel ATA], EIDE [Enhanced IDE], or DMA [direct memory access]) or SATA (Serial ATA) interfaces. An IDE drive is easy to spot because it uses a wide ribbon cable instead of SATA’s skinny cables. In the Device Manager, look under IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers for your IDE or SATA controller chip’s name. If an expansion card handles data flow to your hard drive (the drive’s data cable connects to a card instead of the motherboard), it might be listed under SCSI And RAID Controllers instead.

Universal Troubleshooting Steps When you suspect your hard drive is having problems, before you do anything else, open your computer’s case and make sure that its power and data cables (both ends) are snugly attached. Back up your personal data to another hard drive, a DVD, or a CD. Try not to replace an earlier backup if that’s your only copy of the data, as you don’t want to overwrite a good backup with possibly corrupted files. Next, update your controller’s drivers in case there’s a later bug fix you need. If you’ve combined hard drives in a RAID, make sure you download and install a RAID-compatible driver. Scan for errors. In Windows Explorer (right-click Start and choose Explore), right-click a partition on your hard drive, such as C:. Select Properties, the Tools tab, and Check Now under Error-Checking. Click both options’ checkboxes to enable a longer, more thorough scan of your drive, including every bit of its disk surfaces. Finally, click Start. A scan of your C: drive may require a reboot. If the scan turns up errors on your drive, or if Windows runs erratically or not at all, restart your PC and enter the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) setup, usually by pressing the DELETE or ESC key during the boot process. Enable SMART (Self- Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) monitoring, if your hard drive supports it. This setting can be in several places in the BIOS, but it’s usually in menus having to do with the hard drive, SATA, and/or IDE settings. Save your changes and exit.

Next, use a different computer to download Seagate’s SeaTools (www .seagate.com/support/seatools) and install it on a bootable CD-R or floppy diskettes. Boot your problem PC with SeaTools in the CD or floppy drive. Use a PS/2 (Personal System/2) mouse instead of a USB one to avoid having to navigate SeaTools with the TAB key, the Spacebar, the arrow keys, and combinations of ALT + underlined letter keys, such as ALT-N for Next. After the utility loads, run a full scan of the suspect hard drive. Click View Report to read the results, should a yellow or red circle icon indicate trouble. If your drive has some bad sectors, you’ve lost the files stored on them. SeaTools will offer to overwrite the bad sectors, which will erase the data stored on them but will also prompt the hard drive to map out the defective areas so that they’re never used again. Allow the overwrite, and then run another full scan afterward. When your drive has a clean bill of health, eject the Sea Tools CD or diskette and reboot.

Drives are disposable. Most drives develop a few bad sectors over time. This isn’t a big deal. On the other hand, if your drive accumulates more bad sectors every time you run a scan, it’s probably gradually failing. If so, replace the drive. Like power supplies and RAM modules, hard drives are replaceable, not fixable, commodities. If your drive gets wiggy on you, it’s time to buy a new one. Hard Problems If error and surface scans come up clean, your hard drive probably works fine. Of course, some of the data stored on it could be at fault. Rolling your PC back to an earlier time with System Restore or uninstalling and reinstalling a troublesome application may help. If not, read on for some possible fixes for various problems. Many hard drive maladies and remedies overlap, so it’s worthwhile to try everything listed here.

Problem: Your computer seems to run slower over time.
Solution: After checking for errors, run Disk Cleanup (in My Computer, right-click C: or another drive letter, then choose Properties and Disk Cleanup) to free up storage space. Make sure there’s at least 1GB of unused space on the drive, or Windows won’t run as fast as it should. After Disk Cleanup, defragment your drive so that it stores data in a more orderly manner. In Windows XP, right-click the drive letter, choose Properties, and click the Tools tab and Defragment Now. The nice thing about third-party programs such as Diskeeper (www.diskeeper.com) or Raxco PerfectDisk (www.raxco.com) is that most can move the apps you use most to areas of the hard drive that take less time to access. This can shave a second or two off the time it takes to launch an app. Watch out, though on rare occasions, defragging the partition with the currently running OS (operating system) on it, such as the C: drive, can cause problems such as file system errors.

Problem: Your hard drive is suddenly much slower.
Solution: To check an IDE hard drive, launch the Device Manager. Under IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, right-click Primary IDE Channel (this may be called Parallel ATA Controller on some motherboards, such as those using nForce chipsets). Next, choose Properties and click the Advanced Settings tab (or the Primary Channel or Secondary Channel tabs, if present). Make sure that your hard drive’s Transfer Mode is some variation on Ultra DMA. You may first need to set the Transfer Mode to DMA If Available or uncheck the Let BIOS Select Transfer Mode box, depending on the settings available to you. SATA drives can run slightly slower without certain settings enabled, too. Under IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers in the Device Manager, right-click a SATA Controller entry and choose Properties. In its Advanced Settings, Primary Channel, or Secondary Channel tabs, as applicable, make sure that read and write caching are enabled, as well as Command Queueing.

Problem: Your computer suddenly doesn’t recognize a drive previously in use.
Solution: If you’ve recently worked inside your computer, you might have inadvertently bumped a data cable loose. It’s very easy to nudge a SATA data cable out of place, so check that these are snug. In one isolated case, we once found a drive’s SATA power connector to be unreliable. If your SATA hard drive has both SATA and Molex (4-pin) power connectors, unhook the former and connect the latter. You should never attach both types of power hookups to a drive, however.

Problem: Your computer doesn’t recognize a new hard drive you’ve just added.
Solution: For an IDE drive, verify that you’ve moved its plastic jumper near the power and data ports to the correct pins. Set the drive on the end connector of the data cable to Master (a boot drive may work best as the Master device on the Primary Channel), and any other hard drive or CD/DVD drive on the middle data cable connector to the Slave setting. Don’t use the Cable Select jumper setting unless it’s necessary to solve a drive problem. However, if you’ve just built an external drive out of a spare hard drive and an enclosure kit, the kit manufacturer might recommend Cable Select for best results. You may also need to update your motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. Often, installing a SATA or ATA/ 133 controller card solves a lot of compatibility issues, especially on an older motherboard. After you install the controller card according to its instructions, connect the hard drive’s data cable to the card instead of the motherboard. To get a recent, high-capacity IDE hard drive to work on an older motherboard without a card, try limiting the drive’s capacity to 137GB with a jumper setting, if present. If it works after changing the jumper setting, install a controller card that circumvents the motherboard’s 137GB limitation. For a 3Gbps (gigabits per second). SATA hard drive, you might need to set a jumper on it to change it to 1.5Gbps (150MBps [megabits per second]) mode to get an older controller to recognize it. This will limit the drive’s speed negligibly, if at all, but it may solve a compatibility issue with a 1.5Gbps controller.

Problem: Your PC doesn’t power on or occasionally crashes after you add a hard drive.
Solution: If your power supply unit doesn’t have enough amperage on the 12V and 5V rails to fire up your PC with the addition of a new drive, consider removing less important devices or upgrading your PSU (power supply unit). Flip forward to “Basic Troubleshooting: Power Supplies” in this issue for some tips.

Problem: After a hard drive is disconnected from and then reconnected to your PC, the computer won’t load the OS and reports that there’s no boot device.
Solution: When some BIOSes detect that a hard drive is removed, they automatically change the devices in the boot priority list. However, most of these BIOSes don’t reverse the changes when the missing device is reattached. During your PC’s POST (power on self test) when you first turn it on, press DELETE or the indicated key to enter your BIOS setup. Find the boot priority device list, adjust it, and save your changes when you exit. If you have multiple hard drives, you may need to choose which drive is the boot device in a separate setting.

Problem: A drive is noisy.
Solution: If it’s a new noise, especially a loud or unusual one, the hard drive could be failing. Make sure it’s not just a fan or an imbalanced disc in your DVD drive that’s whining or howling. If your hard drive is only noisy during periods of heavy seek activity, check to see whether the manufacturer offers a download that can change your drive from its performance mode to a quieter mode with acoustically optimized seeks. The drive will act slightly slower after the change, but it shouldn’t be as loud. Certain drives such as the Maxtor D740X with standard bearings are audible even when idle. Most current drives use fluid dynamic bearings, which help eliminate the whine that older drives can emit. You can replace the drive with a quieter model, such as a Seagate drive. Look for a maximum dB (decibel) rating in the 28dB or lower range for near silent operation.