Common hardware problems
1. Will not Start
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why your computer will not start. Lets start with the really simple (and don’t be insulted, these are actually quite common):
Not plugged in or switched on at the socket,
the power lead has come loose at the back of the computer,
the trip switch / fuse on the house fuse board has gone
Somewhat more serious and complicated are when the power light comes on but the computer does not get past its start up checks called the POST checks.
If the machine produces a series of beeps rather than the usual single beep it could mean that the motherboard, the processor or the RAM memory has failed.
You may get a three figure error code on the screen.
These can be interpreted although it depends on the make of the machine or its setting. For these sort of problems you need specialist help. Call me!
Not plugged in or switched on at the socket,
the power lead has come loose at the back of the computer,
the trip switch / fuse on the house fuse board has gone
Somewhat more serious and complicated are when the power light comes on but the computer does not get past its start up checks called the POST checks.
If the machine produces a series of beeps rather than the usual single beep it could mean that the motherboard, the processor or the RAM memory has failed.
You may get a three figure error code on the screen.
These can be interpreted although it depends on the make of the machine or its setting. For these sort of problems you need specialist help. Call me!
2. Monitor Problem
Again, if the monitor does not come on, check the simple things first
plugged in to the power at the socket or at the back of the monitor
Signal lead is attached correctly to the computer. If the computer does not start properly and continues to beep at start up it could mean that the monitor is not properly plugged in or the graphics / video card has malfunctioned.
If you have recently plugged the monitor signal lead in have you bent one of the connection pins in the lead plug as I found recently on a friend’s computer!
check that the monitor brightness or contrast has not been turned right down
In a situation where the monitor comes on but the image is poor or strange
Is the monitor close to a strong external magnetic field? This could, for example come from speakers or equipment that contains a transformer that is close to the monitor.
The refresh rate for the screen is inappropriately set. Access the monitor settings either via the control panel or by right-clicking on the desktop … but be careful.
If you seem to get images repeated over the screen it could be that you have the screen resolution set incorrectly. Again, you may try to adjust this via the monitor settings.
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3. Mouse problems
If your mouse pointer does not move smoothly across the screen but jerks or seems to hit an invisible barrier, its probably dirty. To clean a mouse:
Turn the mouse over and twist the retaining ring anticlockwise and then tip the ball out into your hand
If the ball is messy, you can clean it with soapy water
Look inside the mouse and you should see some rollers, usually two long back ones and one small metallic one.
Gently scrape any dirt stuck to the rollers using a finger nail. Do not apply too much pressure
If the rollers are sticky try using a cotton bud dipped in cleaning fluid (isopropyl alcohol usually obtainable from computer or camera shops)
Once all that is done reassemble your mouse
If the mouse pointer does not move at all it could be:
A PS2 mouse (type with the small round plug) could have a conflict with another device using the same COM port. Have you recently added some new hardware that could be causing this?
The mouse itself has failed and needs replacing
If its a USB mouse just simply try unplugging and replugging it. If its a PS2 mouse, turn the computer off, take the plug out and put it back in again.
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4. Hard drive problems
As the hard drive carries all of the files that make the computer work as well as the applications you use, problems with the drive can be serious. There are numerous things that can go wrong. Here are a few:
If the computer will not boot up it could be that the power supply to the hard drive or its ribbon connector that carries the data are not properly attached
If, during the POST start up checks you get an error message with a code16**, it means that the computer is not communicating with the hard drive. You can still start the computer with a boot floppy disk or a boot CD. You could enter the CMOS settings as you power on to check that the correct hard drive details are present. If they are correct again, check the connectors to the hard drive. If you are not sure about how you do this, call us.
If after the POST start up checks you get a message saying that there is no operating system it could mean that some files have become corrupted and/or the drive is damaged. You may get a message saying that certain files are either corrupt or missing. If this is the case, you will probably need to reload the operating system. It would be worth running Scandisk to check the condition of the hard drive. If it is beginning to fail, it would be worth replacing the drive. It may be possible to rescue your important data files from the drive.
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5. Modem connection difficulties
Modems can often be quite problematic although some connection difficulties are easier to sort out than others.
If the computer tells you that there is no modem present it may be due to:
The external modem id not switched on
The external modem is not correctly connected to the COM port
The internal modem is not properly seated in its slot on the motherboard
The modem has been assigned the correct COM port resources eg its IRQ or DMA settings and that these settings are not conflicting with another piece of hardware. Check the settings in the Device Manager
The dial-up properties are incorrectly configured
If you get a “No dial tone” message:
Is the modem connected all right to the phone socket?
If it is, try unplugging the connector and putting it back again in the phone socket
Has the phone cable been damaged?
Is there someone else in the house using the phone on another extension?
Check that you can get a dial tone with a phone
Your modem dials up alright but cannot make the connection
Have you entered your username and password correctly? Passwords are case sensitive. Is the Caps Lock on?
If you are using a toll free connection, they often use your phone number as a way of checking that its you connecting. You haven’t entered the BT code that blocks caller recognition? Or you are not using a laptop computer from a different phone?
Modem randomly drops the connection:
If you have call waiting, it must be disabled
If someone else in the house picks up the phone while you are using the internet, you modem may hang up
You seem to receive garbage:
This could be that your phone line is picking up a lot of static or electromagnetic interference.
Is the line too near power cables, fluorescent lights, the monitor, speakers?
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6. Broadband connection problems
If the computer tells you that there is no modem present it may be due to:
The external modem id not switched on
The external modem is not correctly connected to the COM port
The internal modem is not properly seated in its slot on the motherboard
The modem has been assigned the correct COM port resources eg its IRQ or DMA settings and that these settings are not conflicting with another piece of hardware. Check the settings in the Device Manager
The dial-up properties are incorrectly configured
If you get a “No dial tone” message:
Is the modem connected all right to the phone socket?
If it is, try unplugging the connector and putting it back again in the phone socket
Has the phone cable been damaged?
Is there someone else in the house using the phone on another extension?
Check that you can get a dial tone with a phone
Your modem dials up alright but cannot make the connection
Have you entered your username and password correctly? Passwords are case sensitive. Is the Caps Lock on?
If you are using a toll free connection, they often use your phone number as a way of checking that its you connecting. You haven’t entered the BT code that blocks caller recognition? Or you are not using a laptop computer from a different phone?
Modem randomly drops the connection:
If you have call waiting, it must be disabled
If someone else in the house picks up the phone while you are using the internet, you modem may hang up
You seem to receive garbage:
This could be that your phone line is picking up a lot of static or electromagnetic interference.
Is the line too near power cables, fluorescent lights, the monitor, speakers?
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6. Broadband connection problems
Is the broadband connection device (USB modem or router) synchronising with the phone line alright? Are the correct lights coming on?
Check the broadband filters. All phone devices in the house on the same number MUST have a filter. This includes phones, faxes, extension bells, Sky TV boxes etc.
Is the connection username and password correct?
Check the broadband filters. All phone devices in the house on the same number MUST have a filter. This includes phones, faxes, extension bells, Sky TV boxes etc.
Is the connection username and password correct?
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