-
Symptom: No power lights come on/no sounds from the computer/no picture of any
sort
-
Symptom:
Computer powers up but no picture on the monitor
-
Symptom:
Monitor picture is hard to see/bad color/no color
-
Symptom: Keyboard or
mouse not functioning
-
Symptom:
Drive not ready/error reading drive A
-
Symptom: Printer doesn't print
-
Symptom: Network name not found/can't connect to the network (error 68)
-
Symptom: Network printer won't stop printing/can't kill the print job
-
Symptom: Windows isn't
working properly
-
Symptom: Mouse not working
-
Symptom: Device
time-out error/device not ready
-
Symptom:
Computer seems to be running slower than normal
-
Symptom: Computer makes an annoying whining or squealing noise
-
Symptom: Pressing keys on keyboard creates "beeps," but nothing appears on the
screen
-
Symptom: Working Folder Not
Available
-
Important: write
it down! Write down any messages that appear on the
screen such as "error #53 in line 25539 of module GPS273.EXE" or "Code 20533
in 3546" or "Database error 5,2 in INV.DB." Write down exactly the sequence of
actions you made prior to the occurrence of the problem. Write down any
changes you've made to your system lately such as new software installed, new
equipment, etc. Upgrading to Windows XP is a prime example of a major
change to a system. If you're a network user, write down what other users may
have been doing when the problem occurred, and especially, write down if
someone was actually using Look through this list of common symptoms -- you
may find your solution right here. Otherwise, find your most recent backup
diskettes and keep them handy when you call.
-
Symptom: No power lights come on/no sounds from the computer/no picture of any
sort.
Check to make
sure all power cables are securely plugged in, not only to the wall socket but
to the hardware pieces. Computers and monitors usually have a detachable plug.
Check to make sure the power outlet is working; perhaps a circuit breaker or
wall switch has been tripped. If using an extension cord, make sure all
connections are solid. Check to make sure all power switches are turned on.
-
Symptom:
Computer powers up but no picture on the monitor.
Check the monitor power cable and the
monitor's video cable. Tighten if necessary (but not really, really
tight!). The video cable contains many wires and should not be pinched or
stressed. Check the brightness and contrast settings on the monitor. Turn the
monitor off and then on again and listen closely to the monitor -- it may make
some sounds indicating power is on. Touch the monitor top and back with your
hand for warmth; if it's warm, at least it's getting power.
-
Symptom:
Monitor picture is hard to see/bad color/no color.
Check the video cable; tighten as
necessary. Check monitor color, brightness and contrast settings. Power the
monitor off and then on again.
-
Symptom: Keyboard or
mouse not functioning.
Check the keyboard or mouse
cable. Turn computer off and on again. NEVER plug in a keyboard or mouse with
the power on -- you may harm your computer! If the computer "beeps" each time
you press a key or mouse button but nothing happens on the screen, your
computer has probably "locked up" and needs to be rebooted from a power-off
state.
-
Symptom: Drive
not ready/error reading drive A (or B).
Check to make sure the diskette is in the
designated drive and the drive latch is closed. Press R to retry. Remove and
reinsert the diskette and close the latch. May take several retries. If no
success, the diskette may not be formatted or may be damaged or dirty -- try
it in another computer. If the diskette works in a different computer, the
diskette drive is suspect.
-
Symptom: Printer doesn't print.
Check the ON LINE/OFF LINE
button on the printer (it must be ON LINE to print). Check the power and
printer cables; tighten as necessary. Check the paper supply and printer
ribbon: printers often have sensors that shut the printer down when these need
attention. Check for stuck pieces of paper inside the printer. Turn the
printer off and then on and try again. You may have to turn the whole system
off and then back on again to reset the computer's printer ports -- static
electricity can easily cause printer malfunctions. Check to make sure your
software settings are correct and that you're trying to print to the right
printer if you have more than two printers connected or print through the
computer's serial port. If you have a switch box and two printers, make sure
the switch is set to the ON LINE printer. Network users: check your print
queue. Laser printer users: your printer's memory may not be big enough to
load the file you're trying to print, taking the printer off-line when it
senses an out-of-memory condition.
-
Symptom: Network name not found/can't connect to the network (error 68).
Check your server -- it
has to be "up" before you can connect to it. Check network cables for solid
connections. If using the 10-Base2 type (thick coax cable) make sure there is
a terminator on each end of your network line (there are only 2 ends on this
type). If using 10-BaseT (the telephone-like wire with the plug-in connectors)
make sure your concentrator is powered on and solidly connected to the server.
Network cable should not have any tension or crimps in the line.
-
Symptom: Network printer won't stop printing/can't kill the print job.
Make sure everyone on the network is out of their applications and reboot the
server, then cancel the bootup BEFORE the network loads. Go directly to the
print spool directory and delete the files. Then reboot the computer again --
all should be okay. NOVELL NETWARE USERS: contact your system administrator
instead.
-
Symptom: Windows isn't
working properly.
(To
some people, this is an oxymoron...) There are literally millions of
combinations of different settings for Windows and the usual culprit is
related to a recent software and/or hardware installation or change. You can
mess up Windows simply by changing the mouse! Windows problems are mostly
software changeable and you should contact the Microsoft people for help in
using their product; if you have contracted for our Windows support option,
you can certainly call us instead!
-
Symptom: Mouse not working.
Check to make sure your mouse is
securely connected to the proper socket in the computer. If it was not, you
may have to reboot the computer to get the mouse working again. On bootup,
watch the messages on the screen to see if the "mouse driver" gets loaded into
memory or whether you get "bad command" messages or "file not found." If
you've installed new software recently and you're using Win95 or Win98, your
CONFIG.SYS and/or AUTOEXEC.BAT file may have been altered in the installation
so the mouse driver isn't being loaded properly. Check these two files and
adjust as necessary. Then reboot and try it again. If it's not working in
Windows, something is probably wrong with either your WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI
file. You may have to start your computer in "safe mode," uninstall the mouse,
and restart the computer again so that Windows re-recognizes the mouse and
resets itself again.
-
Symptom: Device
time-out error/device not ready.
This is normally a printer problem -- your
computer is trying to print things faster than your printer can handle them or
your printer may have suddenly stopped (broken ribbon, paper jam, etc.) but
the computer doesn't know it and keeps trying to print. Check the printer,
make sure it's on line and paper is loaded and try again. Network users: your
print queue may try to restart the print job where it left off when the
problem occurred. You may want to kill the job and restart it from scratch.
-
Symptom:
Computer seems to be running slower than normal.
This could indicate that your hard disk is
either getting near filled or the files are badly fragmented, making the
computer work harder to keep track of them. Try deleting old files you no
longer need (such as word processor backup *.BAK files), or point of sale
AUDit files. You may have to invest in disk defragmenting software to fix that
problem. You can use Windows' help and look for the word DEFRAG, and use the
built-in Windows disk defragment tool. If you use it, make a full system
backup first in case something goes wrong during the disk defragmentation
process. Network users: if the network seems to be running slowly, check with
other users to see if they're doing something which takes up a lot of network
server horsepower such as sorting, data backup, etc.
-
Symptom: Computer makes an annoying whining or squealing noise.
Listen to the computer, front
and back, to identify where the noise is coming from. If it's in the back, the
problem is likely the cooling fan. If it's near the front, it could be the
hard disk drive wearing out. Either way, it's normally not a good sound, so
make sure you have a current backup of the whole system! If the power fan
dies, your computer will overheat and severe damage will occur, so if you
can't feel much air coming out of the back of the computer where the fan is,
turn it off! If the noise is coming from the hard disk, make a backup
of at least your data while it's still running! It could be that the
bearings in your hard disk are wearing out, meaning that a hard disk crash may
be in your near future. When that happens, you may lose everything.
(Hard disk drives normally will run for years without problems, but they can
develop problems just like the wheel bearings on your car...a hard disk is
just another machine.)
-
Symptom: Pressing keys on keyboard creates "beeps," but nothing appears on the
screen.
If a
numerical entry is required and you're using the keypad on the right side of
the keyboard, there's a likelihood that your NUMLOCK key is off. Alternately,
the program may be requesting either a numerical entry and you're trying
something alphabetical, such as a simple carriage return (the ENTER key), or
vice-versa. Generally, a program will prompt you for the type of information
it's requesting. If it's asking a YES or NO question, typing a number or just
hitting ENTER may not work. Answer the question the way it's phrased on the
screen and then press ENTER.
-
Symptom: Working Folder Not Available.
You’re using Windows and the computer/workstation having the programs and/or
data you’re trying to access is either not turned on, is no longer sharing the
information your computer is trying to get, or your computer network drives
are not mapped the correct way. Club Data and Windows are excellent
companions, but the mapping and sharing of network drives and work areas must
be consistent. In most cases, you must have a drive mapped to the data area.
To keep it this way, make sure you check the box marked “reconnect at logon”
so these mapped drives are consistent from day to day.