FREE ESSAY ON COMPUTER CALAMITIES

COMPUTER CALAMITIES

Computer Calamities 
There's nothing worst than when a machine that you depend on so much, just decides it
doesn't want to work anymore. If you run a business and your computer stops working, most
of the time you do too. If this happens, your problems could range from small , something
you can handle yourself, or they can be very big. In this case a professional can help.
To help reduce the cost, identify the problem before you have it serviced if you can.
According to some hardware and software manufactures, many people call customer service
for some rather common and annoying problems. Technicians have pointed out that , people
tend to overlook the obvious when diagnosing computer problems. Some of the most common
questions asked are as follows: Why won't my system boot? The first thing you should
check is the power cord and all other connections to make sure they are attached
securely. A lot of things happen when you turn on your computer. It begins by running a
diagnostic routine to make sure all system components are working properly. If your
computer beeps a few times and stops working before it displays a message on your
monitor, there's a chance that a critical piece of hardware has failed. It may be a good
idea to seek professional help at this time. Also, you could have a dead battery if
nothing happens after you hear the floppy drive whir. Your computer depends on a battery
to preserve important system settings when it is cut off. Batteries can die as often as
every two years.
Why is my system so slow? Even if you have the fastest CPU money can buy, it won't do
much good if you 're running short on memory. Today's computer should have at least 8MB
of RAM to work effectively. If you can afford 16MBs, it will pay for itself with added
productivity. An inefficient hard drive can also slow down your system. This can be
solved by upgrading your hard drive. Fragmented files may be another reason for a slow
drive. When you save files their contents get spread out over the physical surface of the
disk. DOS can find the file, but your disk drive spends a lot of time jumping around to
collect the various parts of the fragmented file.
Why is my computer out of memory? An insufficient memory message can mean different
things. To check and see if your system is about to crash, switch to Window's Program
Manager, pull down the Help menu, and select About Program Manager. The last line of the
dialog box includes information about the amount of memory that is available. When the
level of available memory drops to less than 50 percent, you risk crashing.
How do I get my data from a crashed hard drive? When your hard disk crashes, it may not
be the disk that's the problem. A controller card may have gone bad, this can be replaced
and this will completely restores all the data on your hard drive. If the actual disk is
damaged, there are companies that can recover information from the damaged disk and
rebuild whatever files they can. The best way to get data back from a crashed hard drive
is to always back up all your files. 
Why is my display blank / distorted? Inspect your power cord and video cable. Then make
sure your brightness control is not turned down. If the picture is distorted, try
adjusting your monitor's vertical or horizontal controls. If these things do not work you
may have a bad video card. Your solution to this problem, buy a new monitor.
Why can't I print a document? Check all printer cables. Check to see if it's out of
paper, or if your printer may be jammed. If you have installed a new printer, you may
have a port mismatched. You will have to tell the computer which port has the printer. If
all these checks fail, you could have a bad electronics board. Call in the professionals
for this problem.
Why did my peripherals stop working when I installed a new card? Computers have to be
told how it should communicate with a specific peripheral without interfering with
equipment that's already installed. Your computer communicates with each peripheral using
individual ports, interrupts (IRQs), and DMA channels. Before you add a new card, use the
Norton Utilities to find out which of these are free and print out the report for
reference. If the card has already been added to your system and it causes other
equipment to malfunction, pull it out and start over.
Why doesn't my modem respond? Check all cables running to and from your modem, also check
the phone line running to the wall connection. If this is not the problem, you may need
to change the COM port assignment. The modem's manual should explain which settings
indicate which COM port should be used.
Why do I lose my modem connection when I'm online? The tone generated by an incoming call
knocks a modem off-line. Some phone lines will let you temporarily disable call waiting
while online by prefacing a phone call with the *70 code on most touch-tone systems and
1170 on rotary connections. To check to see if this code works on your phone, pick up
receiver and press *70. You will hear a second dial tone, and you will then know your
system supports this feature.
Computers can have small to very large problems. If you can not solve the problem
yourself, its time to call in some professionals to check it out. There is a 24-hour
helpline, run by KnowledgeBroker Inc. They offer technical support for about any PC
hardware or software problem. Calls can be billed to a credit card on a toll free number
or to your phone bill through a 900 number. These calls can be expensive, but its worth
it if they can help.