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General Laptop/PCMCIA Touch Pad/Pointing Device Battery Disk Drive/Floppy Video Display/LCD Laptops General Notebook Care
General
Q: My computer is not running correctly!
A: Troubleshooting problems on your computer is generally and a matter of narrowing down, step-by-step what the cause is. In general, some of the most common
areas that cause your computer to function abnormally are:
- New software installed
- New memory added
- New hardware device(s) added
- Windows/Programs were not shut down properly
- Viruses
- Spyware & Adware
The best thing to do is backtrack. If you have
added something new and then all of a sudden your system starts to misbehave then undo the steps and see if the computer is back to normal. If it is, then you know
that the problem occurring is due to whatever was installed. Not sure? Call us.  Top
Q. What is a computer virus?
A. A computer virus is a malicious computer program that infects the computer memory or hard
disk. Some are comical and will simply change the display on your monitor while most are
designed to do damage to the data on the computer. Boot sector viruses are especially damaging
since they rewrite the information needed to start up and access your computer's hard disk.
Trojan horses are destructive programs disguised as something harmless like a game. Worms
are programs written to replicate themselves until the computer's memory or hard drive is
completely used up at which time the computer crashes and becomes inoperable. A good place to learn more about computer viruses is CERT's web site www.cert.org Top
Q. How do I keep from getting a computer virus?
A. If you buy no other piece of software for your computer, buy a virus protection program.
Some common programs are Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan. Don't share files without
first checking the files or disks with a virus protection program. This includes downloaded files
from the Internet. Know the source of the file before you download and activate the virus
protection plug-in for your browser. Two good virus protection programs are from McAfee (VirusScan) and Symantec (Norton AntiVirus).
- Never open e-mails coming from unknown senders or containing suspicious subject
headings
- Block all e-mails containing .EXE, .VBS or .SBS attachments
- Make sure all servers are well patched and hardened; latest patches for Microsoft IIS
servers can be found at support.Microsoft.com
- Update antivirus software daily Top
Q: What if my system freezes up?
A: If your system freezes, press Ctrl, Alt and Delete simultaneously. In the "Close Program"
window, highlight any programs that are "not responding" and click "End Task" or "Shut Down" if this doesn't work. Top
Q. My computer is slow.
A. If you have less than 128 Mb of RAM in your computer, the number one upgrade you can
perform to increase speed and efficiency is to install more memory. At the present time, memory
is at an all time low! Call us today! You may be surprised at how affordable it is to double the
amount of RAM you presently have in your system. Even if you have to completely replace what you currently have in there, it may be worth your while. Top
Q. My computer has locked up and the power switch will not work. What can I do to
reset it?
A. If a computer is locked up the power switch will probably not respond and will need to be
reset. Completely shut down the system. Most power buttons will force the computer off by
holding them in for five to ten seconds. Unplug if necessary. If this does not shut down the
computer, remove the battery (laptops), then reinsert the battery and turn the power back on.
Sometimes new computers need to be powered off by holding in the power button until the system shuts down. Top
Q. How do I shut down my PC?
A. To properly shut down your computer, click on the Start button and select "Shut Down." This
will give you the option to restart or shut down your computer. The computer will close any open
programs that you are using and ask you to save any unsaved data before it shuts down. You will
want to restart your computer if you get error messages such as "invalid page fault" or "program
error in module xyz" to clear the memory and reset the computer. The second time to turn off
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