When Good Computers Go Bad - simple troubleshooting methods to fix them by Pam Allen No matter how new or great your computer is, one of these days, you'll turn it on and be greeted by something that just doesn't work anymore. After you've panicked and cried for a few minutes, read this handy article and learn how to diagnose and fix the most common pc problems!

THIS article isn't just about saving money, it's also about saving time and patience. Today, I'm going to share some tips on avoiding Computer Tech Support. With any luck, this article will help you avoid spending hours on hold while you listen to elevator music and wait for an answer. Many places are doing away with free support and toll free numbers, so this could help you save money, too.

When dealing with computers, you have three basic groups of things that can go wrong. Outside peripherals include your printer, monitor, speakers, anything that is outside the computer's case, but connects to it. Inside peripherals include your hard drive, CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, any hardware that is inside the case, but connects to the motherboard. Software is self- explanatory. Any Windows error messages or programs that just don't work correctly fall in this category.

Software problems are very difficult for a novice (even a not-so-novice) to solve, and the easiest solution is to simply reinstall the offending program. Windows itself has a tendency to deteriorate over time, and in many instances only a complete reinstall of Windows will help.

Surprisingly enough, this is quite simple, and involves only inserting your Windows Installation CD into your drive, and running SetUp. It only overwrites Windows settings and files, while leaving the rest of your programs untouched. Because software problems are so hard to diagnose, general advice isn't much help, so I'm going to concentrate on the other two groups of problems.

There's one simple rule to remember when dealing with peripheral problems. For outside peripherals, work from the outside, in. For inside peripherals, work from the inside, out. You'll see what I mean as I explain further. The first thing to do in every case is to turn off your computer for a few minutes, then restart it and try to do whatever you were attempting to do. This works in an amazing number of instances.

During boot up, look for any error messages that come up on the screen. Bad memory is known for causing myriad problems, while letting your PC boot up in seemingly fine form.

Run scandisk, and disk defragmenter. Over time, files get scattered around all over your hard drive. Even though Windows is the one that moved them, it can't always remember where they are. If you've had a power outage, or just computer lock ups that require you to unplug or turn off your computer without going through Windows Shut Down, you could have corrupted files. Scan Disk and Defragmenter will take care of these possibilities.

Also, if the problem started directly after you installed a new program, it's a safe bet that the new program is causing a conflict. Try uninstalling it, using the uninstall option that came with it, or Windows add/remove programs if there is no uninstall option.

When dealing with a printer, speakers, monitor, etc, first check the obvious. Is it plugged in? Is the power light lit when the equipment is turned on? If your printer is on, but the light is off, you could have a dead outlet. Plug a lamp into the outlet to make sure it's working. If the outlet is fine, but the power light is still off, check for a frayed or broken power cord. Next, look for a re-set button. Most computer hardware doesn't have one, but you can't ever tell what a manufacturer will stick on there. If it's still dead, it's a power supply problem and will need to be taken in for repair.

If the equipment has power, next you should check the connection from it to your computer. Make sure any cables are securely plugged into the computer and the peripheral, and are in good shape. Don't just push the connector, unplug it completely and plug it back in. I found this out the hard way, after spending two hours checking all my settings, frantically trying to get sound out of my speakers. I discovered that one of my cats had chewed through the speaker wire. If that doesn't solve the problem, then it's highly likely that the hardware isn't receiving information from the computer. Most monitors have a light that is either green or yellow on the front panel. Yellow means the monitor is in 'wait' mode. If the screen is black and the light is yellow, it's not receiving graphics. Borrow a cable from a friend and see if that makes a difference. Hook up another monitor. If none of this works, it's probably your graphics card, which will have to be replaced. Also, make sure that your brightness control hasn't gotten turned down, this happens more often than you'd realize.

If it's a printer, you'll very likely see some sort of error message saying what's wrong, though any number of things can cause the same error message. Check the ink cartridge and make sure it has ink. Make sure the paper tray is full, and the paper is inserted as far as it will go. Run a self-test and see if the printer prints. Go to Control Panel and make sure your printer is still listed. Check the printer settings and make sure the proper ink (color or black) is selected. If all else fails, find the disks that came with your printer and reinstall it.

For sound problems, make sure the volume setting didn't get turned down or muted on the computer and on the speakers or subwoofer. Plug in some headphones and see if they work. Try different audio formats -a cd in the CD drive, a Windows Media file. Find out if you have sound from any application, or just certain applications. Check the settings and verify that something didn't get turned off or disabled by mistake.

As you can see, there are many things that can cause problems, and I've just touched the surface. Remember to start as far outside as you can (power outlet) andwork your way back to the inside (program settings).

For inside peripherals, you don't want to pull the cover off your PC first thing and start poking around, so you start as far inside as you can, meaning settings and programs. Most inside peripherals are drives of some sort. Go to My Computer and make sure the drive is still listed. Insert a disk or CD into the drive, and see if it's being read. Simply double click the drive name in My Computer and you should get a list of the files on the disk. If you get an error message, try another disk.

If the CD drive will play audio CDs but not data CDs (or vice versa), check the settings for the program you use to access the CD. For instance, if your Slingo game plays from CD, but not your Collective Soul CD, check the 'windows cd player' settings.

If your Slingo game loads up, but doesn't run properly, check the settings in the game and make sure something didn't get turned off.

Look at the cd in bright light and check for scratches and finger prints. Wash the CD in warm soapy water, drying with a soft lint-free cloth from the inside out, not in a circular motion!

If all else fails, bite the bullet, take a deep breath and remove the cover on your computer, making sure you turn it off and unplug it first. Make sure you discharge any static electricity from your hands by touching something metal that is NOT inside the computer. The outside of the case will work.

You'll be amazed at how little there actually is inside there. Make sure the cables that connect the drive to the mother board are firmly plugged in on both ends. Is the fan running?

A dead fan will cause overheating, which leads to all sorts of bad things.

Now that you're poking around in the innards of your computer, take a look around. Most of that stuff is quite simple to replace yourself if the need arises! Thanks to Plug and Play, most of the time you can just remove a few screws, slide in the new drive, fan, power supply, etc, hook up the cables, and turn on the computer. Repair shops make a fortune by doing things that are actually extremely simple for a complete computer novice to fix.

There's no possible way I can give in-depth advice on every possible computer problem along with its solution, but I hope this has given you a solid starting point for the next time you have something go wrong. By following these steps first, if you do have to call tech support, you'll have already done the basic steps that they ask you to do.

Just be sure to write down any error messages you receive. All of us have the tendency to assume that anything that goes wrong with our computer is something major. Most of the time, it's something simple. So take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, and start tracing the problem.

Copyright Pam Allen All Rights Reserved

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