Here are the basic troubleshooting guidelines for what to do with
regular computer problems.
– Cannot save a file onto your hard disk
First check your hard disk to see if it still has space available. Delete
some files if possible.
Run a virus scan on your computer and make sure that there are no
viruses present.
Reinstall the application you are using and see if it solves the problem.
– Monitor does not display anything
Check the obvious — Monitor’s LED light is on, power is plugged in and
cable is connected to both the monitor and PC.
When you turn on your PC, check to see if there are any strange
beeping noises. If so, there could be a problem with your graphics
card. You will need to replace the graphics card in this case.
To see which is the graphics card (VGA card) inside your PC, look at
which card the monitor cable is connected to.
– Keyboard/mouse doesn’t work
If it’s a wireless keyboard/mouse, check to see if the batteries need
replacing. If it’s not a wireless keyboard/mouse, check to see if the
cable is plugged in properly.
It may be that the USB port which you plug your keyboard/mouse
cable to is faulty. Try another USB port if you have one. If there are no
USB ports available, buy a USB hub which will allow you increase the
number of USB ports. Plug your keyboard/mouse cable here.
If the device doesn’t work, you will need to replace it.
– Mouse cursor is hard to control
This normally happens with a mouse that has no infrared. It’s because
the inside of the mouse is dirty due to long usage.
Remove the ball from the mouse and clean it. Use a pin and scrape off
the dirt from the rollers inside the mouse.
– Advertisements keep popping up on the screen
These unwanted advertisements are popping up on your screen
because a website has placed spyware or some other annoying code
on your PC when you visited or downloaded something from their
website.
To remove these popups, download and use a Spyware application
such as Lavasoft from http://www.lavasoft.com/
This will help you find and remove the code so that you won’t see the
pop ups again.
– No internet access
If you cannot access the internet from a browser, then it could be due
to:
1. The website you’re visiting is offline. Try visiting another website
to see if this is the case.
2. Could be a problem with your internet provider. Ring them
immediately and ask if they have a problem.
3. Check to see if the wireless signal on your PC or laptop is weak.
You may need to go to a better location
– A USB device is not working
If any of your USB devices are not working such as printer, digital
camera, web cam etc… then unplug the device from your PC.
Then restart the PC. Plug in the USB device again to see if the
computer can automatically detect it. If so, it will ask you to download
the driver. If you have the driver on disk, then use it. If not choose the
option where Windows will automatically search for the recommended
driver.
If this doesn’t work then plug the USB device into another USB port to
see if the USB port is faulty. If all these fail, then the problem could be
with your USB device. Try the device on another computer to confirm.
– No sound from your PC
Check to see if the speakers are switched on and plugged in properly.
Then go to Control Panel…Sounds and Audio Devices. Check to see if
the volume is not muted.
Next go to websites such as YouTube, to see if you can hear any
sound. It may be that a particular application you’re working with has
a problem with sound.
If all the above fails then you need to replace your sound card.
