Computers are wonderful … mostly
Computers are not just a passing fad – they are now a fact of life. Even as I sit
down to write this article, using good old-fashioned pen and paper, I realize how
much more effective it is for me to simply type my thoughts. It’s a lot faster and
far more legible than my handwriting. And it saves trees!
Computers entertain us; they run our utilities and transport systems; they are a
vital component in many areas of medical care and they even act as a fashion accessory
for thousands, if not millions of people around the world (Ipod anyone?). Without
computers, society practically grinds to a halt. Our dependence on computers is
incredible, given that we are the most intelligent species on the planet, and that
our ancestors lived quite happily for many thousands of years without the “luxuries”
that we now take for granted.
Because of the huge impact that technology has on our lives, when our PCs start
to misbehave things can go catastrophically wrong. Even now, decades after computers
first made their appearance in the business world, we still have not been able to
completely eliminate the problems that plague computer users every day.
I remember my first computer crash well. I’d been working on the new, and practically
state of the art computer that my parents had just paid more than $4000 for. I thought
that since I knew how to switch it on and check my email, I was an expert. Then
it stopped. It was nothing particularly dramatic, the mouse just refused to move.
I noticed that the keyboard didn’t seem to be doing anything either. I frantically
tapped at the keys, but - nothing. Not a letter appeared, not a twitch, not even
a sound came out of it. I had that awful feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
“Okay,” I told myself, “Stay calm. Its just a computer. Even my best friend’s little
brother can make these things work. It can’t be that difficult.” Someone had told
me that CTRL ALT DEL was a good thing to try if nothing else worked. I pressed CTRL
and was searching for the ALT key when it happened. The monitor blinked at me and
I was facing the Blue Screen Of Death. Just a blank blue screen with nothing. At
this point I started to panic. I’d never seen anything like it before.
The document I was working on wasn’t all that important, which is just as well,
because as we all know, the Blue Screen Of Death means just that – a blue screen
that signals the death of the vital document that you’d just spent 14 hours working
on, sometimes with little hope of recovery.
I was reluctant to admit to it back then, but being a complete novice at the time,
in my mind, I had likened a serious computer crash to a serious car crash. I thought
that (obviously!) the computer can’t go to the panel beaters, so it must have meant
that it was time for the computer to go to the big scrap heap in the sky. And for
a kid whose parents had just gone into debt to buy me the computer that was vital
for my education, it was a nightmarish thought. In hindsight it seems silly – and
after I’d spent about 4 hours panicking, I made a decision which changed my life.
I asked for help. I called a gentleman, who has since become one of my dearest friends
and a great mentor, and asked for his advice. He came around and had a look. He
showed me how to reboot, and taught me to remain calm in the face of a technological
crisis. I’ve since made a career of fixing broken computers and calming and training
panicked PC users.
So what do you do when your computer decides its time for a break(down)?
The number one thing to remember is to stay calm. Most computer glitches are just
that – glitches – and provided that you’ve saved your work regularly and made some
simple backups, it should be no time before you’re back up and running again.
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If your problem is…
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Then try…
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The computer doesn’t start up
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Check that you’ve got all the cables plugged in securely.
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You’re not sure if the cables are plugged in correctly.
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Unplug and re-plug them. If the cables don’t slide in smoothly and with relative
ease, don’t force them. This usually just bends the pins and causes more problems.
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The computer has crashed
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Reboot. Any good tech will ask you to do this before anything else – and it usually
fixes around 80% of computer problems.
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The computer refuses to reboot
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Push the power button in and hold it for 10 seconds. The screen should go black
and then the computer will shut down. You can then start up as per normal.
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The computer still refuses to shut down.
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For a desktop or tower computer, unplug it at the wall.
For a laptop, unplug the power, and remove the battery. There is a lever underneath
to do this.
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And if after all this it still doesn’t behave itself, then call in to your local
PC repair shop and get the techs there to take a look for you. They will most likely
ask you for some information to determine what the problem is, the questions may
include things like:
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Which operating system do you have? E.g. Windows
XP, Windows 2000, Mac OS X
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Which programs were you running at the time
that it crashed?
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Has this happened before?
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Did it come up with any errors before it crashed?
What did the errors say?
(It is always handy to write down the content of any messages that come up, because
this information can be invaluable when trying to troubleshoot a problem.)
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What have you done thus far to try and correct
the problem? E.g. Did you try restarting it?
If you have any problems with your computing, please e-mail me and I will publish
an answer in the next edition. Unfortunately I do not have time to answer
your questions directly.
So until next time, stay calm, and happy computing!
© Chelle Manicad 2007
chelle@mydearfriend.net.