Fix Computer Problems Guide

If you ever need to test the function of your hard drive, then you should learn how to use this great free disk-checking program included with your Windows system.
 
I love ScanDisk. Honestly, I do. As a computer support specialist with over 18+ years of experience, I often had to use this great little utility. It’s fairly powerful, works on all versions of Windows and best of all is free since it comes bundled inside Windows.

So what is it?
ScanDisk is disk-checking and diagnostic tool that you can use to test your hard drive. It can also be used repair problems on magnetic media; hard disk and floppy disks.

Why use ScanDisk?
It’s a very easy to use program and even the most non-technical person can learn how to use it. It can quickly fix most common disk errors. And I did mention it’s installed as a part of Windows so it is always available. If you can boot into Windows, then you can use the program.

How to use it in Windows 98/98SE/Me:
1) Close all programs.
2) Click on the “Start” button. 
3) Go to “Programs”
4) Scroll to “Accessories”
5) Click on “System Tools”
6) Select “ScanDisk”
7) Now locate and select the drive you want to check (C:\).
8) Check the “Standard” radio button.
9) Check the “Automatically Fix Errors”
10) Click “OK” to run.

How to use it in Windows 2000/XP/Vista
1) Close all programs before you begin.
2) Click on the “Start” button then “My Computer”.
3) Right click on drive you wish to scan and then click on “Properties”.
4) Now you click on the “Tools” tab at top of pop-up window.
5) Click on “Check Now” in the “Error Checking” section.
6) Check the “Automatically Fix Errors”
7) Click “OK” to run.

Testing Options in Windows 98/98SE/Me:
Standard: This option basically only checks files and folders for Windows system errors. This is good for routine maintenance checks.

Thorough: This option is not used often due to time constraints. Don’t check “Thorough” unless you can let the machine run uninterrupted for several hours (2+ on larger drives) or overnight. I’m not kidding. Thorough is used for when you are having severe hard drive issues only. When you have to check your drive for possible physical damage, check “Thorough” and then select, click “System and Data Areas”

Testing Options in Windows 2000/XP/Vista:
The “Standard” function in the older version is now the default. Just with click “Automatically Fix Errors”

To use a thorough scan to check for both system and physical errors, you should also check “Scan For and Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors.”

To run scandisk in Windows 2000/XP/Vista you have to have programs closed down, or you will keep getting a error message, “Disk check could not be performed because exclusive access to the drive…” If this keeps happening then if possible restart your computer and press “F8″ after PC the logo but before Windows starts. This will let you into Windows “Safe Mode”. You can run ScanDisk now but be warned it will take twice as long but will give you the same results.

ScanDisk Test Results:
After processing you should get a pop-up window with the results of your test. The important to look for is “Bytes in bad sectors”. This shows the number of bytes that have been marked bad or basically unusable for storage. It’s normal to have a small number of bytes in bad sectors (less than 100,000).

But if it is more than this or increases in number over time, then this is sign for keeping your file backups up to date and saving for that bigger, better hard drive.

Here are another seven signs of eminent hard drive failure. If your hard drive is having any of these seven symptoms then you must take immediate action to backup your files…
  
“Back up my hard drive? How do I put it in reverse?” ~ Unknown
 
While doing regular backups is very important, sometimes people believe that backups are some kind of magic bullet so they let themselves get over confident and let bad hardware issues get out of control.

By paying attention and seeing if your machine is experiencing any of these seven signs of eminent hard drive failure, you may be able to save yourself hours of wasted time and an expensive repair bill.

Sign 8 - Disappearing files and folders. As a drive goes bad it will often display subtle indications of trouble. One of the most overlooked are “vanishing” files or folders. If you notice that you can never find your files anymore or that folders you “know” were there are now gone, then your hard drive maybe slip sliding away.

Sign 9 - Folder and file names that have been scrambled and changed. A related issue is that you can find the folder or file you want…or at least you think you have. The filename is messed up but when you open it, it’s the letter you were looking for. But you have a set way of labeling your files it is way wrong. A sign of things going badly quickly.

Sign 10 - You experience really loooong waits to access folders and files
Another related issue. You can find the file fine but you notice that over the last little bit, it’s been taking practically forever to open folders or files. Once you click on a file, you can get up, grab a coffee, and read the front page of daily paper before it opens up. Just joking, but accessing files are noticeably slower.

Sign 11 - The System locks-up during boot up, repeatedly
Okay, even the best of machines, even brand-new-outta-the-box ones will misbehave by locking up occasionally. Occasionally… If you start have lockups every other time you boot up your machine, the drive can be having lots of read/write errors that overwhelm it. Time to go shopping.

Sign 12 - ScanDisk or a third-party utility shows bad sectors
Windows’ drive diagnostic tool Scandisk if one of my faves. By running it and setting it to “automatically fix” errors, you can see if your drive has physical bad “spots” or sectors on the disk platters. You can also use a third-party program. All the major hard drive manufacturers have free utilities on their websites.

Sign 13 - Error message: Disk can’t find the Windows Master File Table (MFT) or Master Boot Record (MBR)
You may have a bit of luck with this one. The good news, a virus or piece of spyware has taken over your drive and rewritten or “hidden” the MFT (on Windows 2000 and later) or MBR (Windows 98/Me and earlier). You may be to repair this with some technical help. The bad news, is that the MFT/MBR files rarely get corrupted or become infected, so this is almost a sign of drive gone bad.

Sign 14 - The drive is running hot. This one sign you probably will never notice since, it requires that the case be removed from your computer. Instead of sign this should actually be classified as a more of a test. If you notice any of the other problems mentioned above, then you can pop your PC case and lay your hand on top of hard drive while in operation. It should be warm but not hot to the touch. A hot device is positive physical sign of early failure.

Your PC is having any of the above issues then you must backup your files, as completely as possible as soon as you can. Even with these danger signs, hard drives have been known to fail without warning, so backup frequently.

If your hard drive is having any of these seven symptoms then you must take immediate action to backup your files…
  
“I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them.” ~ Isaac Asimov
 
Like the late, great Dr. Asimov said, we shouldn’t worry about computers taking over but be more concerned when they fail us and take all our important files with them. A computer’s hard drive is the central storage within the system and its failure will bring all practical functions to a complete halt. 

If your PC is experiencing any of the following signs of impeding doom then you must run (not walk) and grab CDs to burn backups of all your essential data.

Sign 1 - You hear high-pitched whining, loud clicking or grinding noises coming from the drive. A normally operating drive will make a smooth “whirling” sound as is spins up or down. But if a drive has a grinding or clicking sounds (the Read/Write heads scraping too close to the magnetic platters), then your drive is sick and is on the way out.

Sign 2 - You see the infamous “Blue Screen of Death”, repeatedly. BSODs (Blue Screens of Death) are actually called “Stop” errors and they only appear when your Windows system is experiencing severe software or hardware issues. Often BSODs can cured with a careful “Repair Install” of the Windows operating system or by removal of a bad device driver. But if these software fast fixes don’t seem stick, then your hard drive is usually on its last legs

Sign 3 - Your computer keeps re-booting on its own. I admit, I have only seen this problem a few times in my 18+ year career and in all instances it was due to hardware issues. Once it was a dust covered motherboard, and another time an overheating processor. But all the other times it was due to bad drives.

Sign 4 - Your system keeps having frequent freezes or hang ups. You are working along just fine, and then suddenly everything comes to a halt. The program freezes up on you. Your mouse and keyboard seem to stop responding. The only solution is to reboot.

Sign 5 - Error message: hard drive is not formatted. This a fun message that you will get when you start up your machine. You maybe able to restart and get it to boot into Windows a few more times but this error is “fur-sure” sign that you drive is very close to death. And by the way don’t try to format the drive! You will lose all your data.

Sign 6 - Error message: boot drive or device not found or drive cannot be accessed. This is another favorite of mine. You can check the CD/DVD trays or the floppy drive to make sure no stray disks are stuck inside. You can also check the BIOS to make sure the system is booting from the hard drive first. If all these tests are no-good, then the drive is a goner.

Sign 7 - Errors: Operating system not found or Missing Operating System
This is a bad one. Even the Microsoft technical support knowledgebase has only got a few causes for this error message. Basically your PC can no longer detect the hard drive or the drive is too severely damaged to read (DOA).

What to do if your drive has any of these symptoms:
1) First, listen up, if possible, BACKUP YOUR FILES NOW!

2) Create a boot disk and run Windows Scandisk and set it to automatically fix errors. If it finds more than a few bad sectors then see the point above

3) If possible download and use a hard drive diagnostic program. All the major hard drive manufacturers have free utilities on their websites. Repair what you can and see point 1.

Your hard drive is fading into the West. You hear all manner of grinding sounds coming from it and it’s working slower than an accountant doing an audit. So you grab your wallet and bounce down to the local electronics store to find a replacement.

Whoa! You get inside and are dazzled and dazed by the sheer number of hard disks…you didn’t think it would be this difficult. All you want is something affordable and reliable but where to start?

Performance vs. Capacity
When you are out shopping for a new drive these are the two main factors you should take into consideration. Performance is based on a computer’s drive controllers (connector types), the rotational speed and access times of the drive itself.

Capacity is basically a question of storage space and whether or not your current system can recognize and handle it or not.

Know your connector type
Modern computers can have several different styles of controller interfaces (connector types) and this will greatly determine what kind of drive you can fix into your machine.

The current standard is the IDE or ATA drive. ATA drives can have ATA/66, ATA/100 or ATA/133 connections. Every ATA slot can operate 2 separate devices (2 hard drives, 1 drive/CD or CD/DVD).

The newest drives have SATA (Serial ATA) connectors but can only run device per connector but at a much faster speed. Speaking of which…

“I feel the need for speed!”
The first thing you should find out when looking at a new hard drive is its rotational speed or RPMs (revolutions per minute). The higher the RPM rating a drive has, the faster it will work when in operation. Speed = better performance for both the Windows operating system and other software programs. The average RPM for a hard drive is either 5400 or 7200.

Seek Times. Occasionally you may hear some big time technical person mention the “seek times” for a drive. Seek times are measured in milliseconds and are basically a gauge of how rapidly a software program can locate the data it requires on a given hard drive.

Access times and seek times for our purposes are the same. Most modern home computers have a seek time of about 8ms. So a new drive with a seek time of 9ms is considered a bit slow.
So when looking at speed find the highest RPM matched with the lowest or average seek time.

Bigger is Better?
The next thing you should look at is a device’s size or storage space. You ideally should get as big of a drive as you can afford. Hard drive capacity is measured in “megabytes” (million byte size: very old drives), “gigabytes” (billion byte size: current drives), and the very newest are “terabyte” drives (trillion byte size). Like in a house, you can never have “too much” storage room!

So now you know to get a drive with…
- 7200 RPM
- Seek times of 8ms or lower
- With as many Gigabytes as you can afford
- Check with your PC manufacturer to be sure your new drive can be handled by your old computer

“Technology… is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ” ~C.P. Snow

It’s an accepted fact that hard drives are the weakest link in computer technology. The hard disk is where the operating system and all software applications are stored. Because of this, a properly working drive is essential in the operation of any computer.

But since these drives are basically just an electro-mechanical devices, and like any other machine they will eventually breakdown and fail.

And then oops, without backups, all your family photos, legal documents and important emails are gone!

There are three levels of data or file recovery for a dying or broken hard drive:

1) Basic Level: The drive is working (your can hear it spin up but it will not boot to Windows)
This usually means that some essential Windows files have been comprised or damaged in some way. With the right software you can view your files and even copy them. You have to choices…

Use a Rescue CD: You can grab a bootable CD with hard drive utility software already installed on it. You can then make repairs or copy your files from your bad drive to a replacement. A good name brand rescue CD for Windows is the “Ultimate Boot CD”

Move the Drive: If you don’t have a way of burning a rescue CD and don’t want to wait for a copy to shipped to you; you can always move your bad drive and place it in another working desktop PC. Once installed you should be able to view all your files on the drive from a secondary slot (normally where the CD or DVD drive live.)

2) Intermediate Level: The drive works but you can’t see the files you want using the methods above.
Okay, things are not going good. You at this point have to get out the big guns. You will have to download and run a data recovery program such as “Active UNDELTE”, “Recover My Files”, etc. Both of these programs are powerful, reliable, and easy to use and won’t cost you an arm or a leg to buy.

With Active UNDELETE you can also make a bootable CD to run on a PC if you can’t move the drive to another computer. Both have technical support options if you need further help.

3) Advanced: You have tried everything above but you still can’t find that Last Will from Aunt Sue…
At this point you have probably spent several hours (if not days) without your PC and invested just over a $100 in software if you used all of the above products. Now, is the time for you to decide to either use a professional level recovery application or throw in the towel and take your drive to a recovery specialist.

If you have the time but not a lot of cash (understand that hard drive recovery services can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars) then you can ratchet it up a notch and buy a copy of the home version of EasyRecovery from Ontrack. Ontrack is one of the leading data recovery companies in the world.

But if time is more critical and money is no obstacle then bite the bullet and take your drive to a local computer shop that does recovery work. Or if that is not possible then contact a big service like Ontrack and ship your hard drive to them.

Data recovery can be expensive no matter who does it, so to be on the safe side and make file backups frequently and fully.

One the most dreaded questions a PC tech hears is, “How do I fix my slow PC?” You start to explain various fixes but then the client shakes his head and says, “No…I’m not doing all that…what software do I buy?”

If you have spent any time on the Internet, you have seen the ads and websites claiming that they have this “software” or that “registry fix” that will “auto-magically” fix your slow PC.  Well the truth is folks that most of those programs are just plain, old-fashioned “snake-oil” cures and are not worth the money.

In my experience, below are the top 10 causes of computer slowdowns and the best way how to fix them…

Cause 1 - Spyware & Adware

If this is your problem you have already seen an increasing number of nasty little popups. Or your homepage has been hijacked and replaced some weird website, and now you see a strange little “icon” sitting on your desktop telling you that your “virus protection” is not activated! Yep, you been slammed with a heavy duty dose of spyware/adware.

The Fix - Download and scan your computer with a good spyware/adware killer like “Spybot” or “Ad-Ware”.

Cause 2 - Not Enough RAM

Your machine had done its best with what RAM (computer memory chips) it came with but lately it has become overwhelmed. You have been updating your operating system faithfully and have added several new programs that you let you run your new scanner/printer. And all that is just too much for the original memory.

The Fix - Check your owner’s manual or look your computer up online to find out what type, size and speed RAM you need.

Cause 3 - Viruses

Your PC is crashing and restarting by itself every few minutes or it just locks up and stops running. Programs you used to use everyday are not working properly or have stopped working together. You can’t print anymore and now you are getting lots of strange error messages and warnings. You are officially infected.

The Fix - Download a good anti-virus program like Norton, McAfee or AVG and scan all your files.

Cause 4 - Program Overload

You just have too many junk programs. Like a cluttered closet you have downloaded too many applications without cleaning out the old ones. Also a lot of programs use “Terminal but Stay Resident” applets. This means that the main program closes down but basically leaves a smaller “watchdog” program out monitoring your system. Too many of these can cause processor slowdowns and hog the PC’s memory banks.

The Fix - Use the “Add/Remove Programs” function to get rid any old programs you no longer need. And use the “SysTray” to close down programs you don’t need open.

Cause 5 - Dying Hard Drive

If you repeatedly keep hearing strange “tapping sounds” or “clicks” coming from your hard drive you may want to quickly do a backup because it may soon shuffle off this mortal world. Unlike the elephant’s graveyard, a dying hard drive will not lead you a hidden treasure. More like a very nasty surprise in lost files and high repair expenses.

The Fix - Do a full backup as soon as possible and buy a new drive that comes with “drive image” software so you can make a “mirror” copy of your old drive onto your new one.

Cause 6 - Video Card Woes

Oddly enough video cards are seldom included in the line up of usual suspects that cause sluggish PCs. But in my experience a damaged video card or video card driver can cause a host of hidden problems that are difficult to detect in the normal course of running your computer.

The Fix - Locate and download the latest software driver you can find for your video card. Reinstall it and reset your display settings. Notice if the driver gets corrupted or stops working again. Instead of a software issue, you may have a video card slowing going bad and slowing down the entire system.

Cause 7 - Too Many Old Files

If you are like me, you may be a bit of “info-packrat”. I download lots of information from the web and storage in my PC for research or whatever and put them on my hard drive. I make copies of every password and keep documents I have written, well practically forever. But too many files can slow down the access speed between devices in your computer and your hard drive.

The Fix - Archive those old files either to a DVD or like me to an external hard drive. I took an spare hard drive I had and bought an external case and use it to store all my old recipes, documents, etc.

Cause 8 - Removing Clutter

Even if you remove your old files, you may still have a bunch of old temp files from surfing the web, bits of half-installed programs, etc. These snippets of code like metal filings in a well oil machine can cause unexpected software crashes and lock ups.

The Fix - Run the built in Windows Disk Cleanup program, scan your hard disk for errors and finally run the disk defragmentation program to setup your system to run more efficiently.

Cause 9 - Overheating

If your PC keeps crashing and restarting you have already run a virus scan, Or say your computer runs fine in the cool morning or nights but slows down or locks up in the heat of the day? You have an overheating problem.

The Fix - Due to increase temperature sensitivity, newer CPUs can automatically drop to a slower speed when they become overheated. Open your computer case and use a small, natural bristle paint brush to clean away any dust or debris. Listen to the fan housing over your CPU and inside your power supply for strange rattles or whines.

Cause 10 - Operating System damaged

Windows is much more reliable than it used to be but it still can become corrupted over time and develops errors which effect overall computer performance. This type of problem is obvious due to increase number of “Blue Screens of Death” and runtime errors.

The Fix - Reinstall your operating system. Make sure to do a full backup If possible. Since Windows 2000, you can now do what’s called a “repair install”. This kind of install will save all your files and settings for other installed programs.

In summary…

Don’t waste your money on worthless software “slow PC cures” that you can easily fix using programs freely available from the Internet or already built into your operating system

Now you can “fix” all of the above problems by buying after-market parts like keyboards, mice and monitors but you did get this thing to be mobile, right?

Laptop replacement parts for the average “do-it-yourself” Joe are expensive, hard to come by and tough to work with. Trust me on this one. Imagine lots of itty-bitty screws and tiny plastic parts and that’s just opening the case.

Since you aren’t an authorized dealer, you will spend hours online or on the phone tracking down spec sheets, part numbers and used/new laptop components. The word “labor-intensive” is not applied lightly.

You get the picture. All those things could be easily modified or changed on a regular old desktop with a quick trip to your local electronic superstore.

And I won’t go in the short battery-life (which are never covered in the warranty and cost almost as much as a used laptop of the same age); “lug damage” (oops, I dropped my laptop and it can’t get up) and overheating issues some laptops have; this article is just too short for that.

So, Now What?

Unless you have to have one for work or study, I would say why spend the cash? For the same amount of moo-la it would take to get an average laptop, you could have a superior new desktop or even two older “legacy” machines you can network together (you know the ones, just one or three years old).

But what you say?

You say you have a fantasy of yourself answering emails while sitting in bed, or working while lounging in the garden?

Forget about it. Part of the small business mindset is learning to conserve your money for those important technology functions, which push your business to greater productivity (i.e. profits), not just getting a cool new toy or gadget to impress your pals.

But if you just have gotta have one, make sure you toady up the extra cash for a minimum 3 year warranty. Having a long term support contract is essential with a laptop purchase.

Should You Buy a Desktop or a Laptop?

So why would I compare a car manufacturer to an appliance maker? And what the heck does any of that have to do with your computer?

When people ask me to either upgrade or repair their laptop for them; I usually tell them to take it to an authorized dealer, wait 1 to 3 weeks and be prepared to take out a second mortgage. I’m just kidding, but only a just a little bit.

Of course you can replace parts in a laptop like you can any other PC, but the point I’m trying to make is that desktops and laptops are fundamentally different.

Ok, smarty-pants, we both know that laptops were designed to be the ultimate, portable computing tool for road warriors, students on the go and other users who desire mobility (i.e. surfing the web from bed or paying the bills from the kitchen table). While desktops, on the other hand were designed to be the stay-at-home workhorses.

Desktop computers (either a true “desktop” model or a floor-based “tower”) are designed like automobiles in that they can be easily modified or upgraded with standard after-market parts. This is called “open-source architecture” since any hardware producer using standard sizes and configurations; can sell their components to the public (and to PC vendors) and be assured that it will fit inside most industry standard computers.

Laptops, on the other hand, are designed to be more like a household appliance. Sure, you can upgrade a laptop but all the parts are extremely proprietary and custom made for that laptop manufacturer to fit inside that specific model.

With the exception of the memory (RAM) and the hard drive (which is smaller than a typical desktop hard disk), often the only other “standardized” items are the connector ports on the back and sides for phone/network jacks, mice, USBs or printers.

Everything else, from the keyboard, pointer device or glide pad and LCD screen not to mention all that other nifty internal stuff is designed to either be smaller or lighter weight than the norm. In addition, laptops use “molded” high impact plastic cases that don’t contain any easy, user-friendly way to open or modify things.

Like refrigerator manufacturers, laptop producers really don’t want you monkeying around inside their products. Everything is more or less designed to function within that single unit and to run “as-is” for its lifetime. What you buy is pretty much, what you get.

Don’t like your laptop’s size or style? Buy a new laptop!

Is the screen too small? Buy a new laptop!

Is the keyboard awkward and you can’t type using those tiny, little keys? Buy a new laptop!

Can’t get the hang of a glide point? Buy a new laptop…

Check out part two for the rest of the story…

How Power Surges Can Smoke Your PC Without The Right Surge Protector.

Surge protectors are often the last thing most people buy when setting up a new computer system. Computer? Check! Flat panel monitor? Check! Printer? Check! Now to plug everything in. Oops, you don’t have enough outlets for all the different power plugs. Not to worry, you’ll just nip out to the local retail store and grab a cheap power strip.

STOP right there…

By using a power strip (a fancy extension cord) in place of surge protector you are setting yourself up to accidentally damage your computer.

A surge protector has two functions. Like a power strip, it provides extension outlets for your devices but its main job is to minimize the damage caused by random power fluctuations called power surges.

What is a power surge?

A surge is any short-lived high voltage pulse that is above the normal 120 volts standard in US homes and offices. Power surges only last a few nanoseconds (1/100 of a seconds or less) but in that short time, they can easily damage the internal parts of your computer. Uncontrolled, a surge can either smoke a part outright or shorten its useful life from years to months.

One way to think of it is to imagine that electricity “flows” like water. And like water, electricity can placed under “pressure” in this case called “voltage”. So see, the higher the voltage, the higher the “electrical pressure”. And like water pipes in winter, the micro circuits inside your PC can become overloaded and “burst”.

What causes them?

Power companies have done lots of research in this area and they have discovered that are two main types of electrical fluctuations: internal (inside the house), external (outside the house).

Let’s look at the causes of those inside the home or office first. According to research 80% of all surges occur from devices located inside your home or office.

The biggest villains are air conditioner systems, and refrigerators. Both have large electrical motors that routinely shut off and then “surge” back on. It’s this “power on” that causes all those surges, spikes and blinking or flickering lights. Other “motor monsters” are hair dryers, power tools and computer printers.

External surge sources are caused by vehicle accidents involving utility poles, small animals falling into transformers, lightning strikes, construction boo-boos, fallen or swaying tree limbs, blackouts and wind or ice storms.

What to look for in surge protector…

As you can see picking a good surge protector is very important to the long term health of your PC. And choosing the right protector is easy with a few simple tips.

People often think that power “surges”, “spikes” and “blinks” or “flickers” are all the same. To the layman they close enough to be “kissing cousins” but technically the differences are important. A surge lasts as long ad 3 nanoseconds while a spike lasts from 1-2. A blink or flicker is less than even that.

A cheap protector may cover minor blinks and spikes. But in order to protect your computer, you should get one that can handle a true surge.

So look for one with at least an Underwriters Lab’s rating of “UL1449″ and labeled “Transient Voltage Surge Protector”. Now don’t get sticker shock here. You do get what you pay for when comes to surge protectors.

Hey, come on, it would be foolish to try and protect a $1000 computer system with $10 piece of junk, wouldn’t it? Now no surge protector will protect a system from the millions of volts created by a direct hit from lightning but a good protector will safeguard your system from most ordinary day-to-day power problems.

What you should do now…

In this article you learned what power surges were and how they can damage your system. What needs to be done now is for you to junk all those wimpy power strips you have all over the house and replace them with “UL1449″ rated surge protectors to get the maximum life out of your computer and other electronic devices.

Or if you are ready to cure your computer headaches, right now, check out our featured product.

The Power-On-Self-Test (POST)

Now that you know about the 10…or 11 main parts of a modern computer system, you need to know how they work together.

When any computer first boots up, it performs a POST (Power On Self Test) or system check. Basically, a POST check allows a computer to count all its “fingers and toes” and make sure all the ten parts listed earlier are online and active.

If anything goes wrong during the POST check, the computer will signal an error (a possible part failure) via a series of “beeping” sounds or with a text message on the monitor if the video/graphic card is working.

The Power on Self Test (POST)

1. The Power Supply is turned on via the power-on button on the case.
2. The BIOS is triggered. The BIOS (basic input/output system) is pronounced “bye-ose”. It is a very basic software program (most are mutations from the first IBM BIOS from 1981) and it is installed at the factory on chip on the motherboard.
3. Imagine if you will, the BIOS as a traffic cop manually directing how each device comes up and making sure that all the other chips, drives, ports and CPU all flow together without crashing.
4. The BIOS tests itself. (If this fails the game is pretty much over).
5. The BIOS tests the Power Supply Unit and makes sure it’s online and able to send a steady energy signal to the rest of the motherboard.
6. The CPU is powered on and made active.
7. Next, the CMOS is started and “read”. Pronounced “see-moss”, these CMOS chips store the date, time, any system passwords and other system settings. They are powered by a battery when the computer is turned off.
8. The BIOS tests all memory chips and RAM sticks. If the first 64K of RAM is bad or unreadable, the BIOS will create an error message and the POST will stop with an error beep.
9. Find, initialize and organize all devices that are available for boot up. The BIOS signals that all is well internally with a final “All Systems Go” beep.
10. The BIOS then turns on the video card. This displays the motherboard & memory test information on screen. You may also see a manufacturer’s logo flash on the screen.
11. It then does a keyboard and mouse test. This is one test where you can watch as your keyboard’s lights blink on or off. A keyboard failure will be shown on screen.
12. Next the hard drive, floppy and CD/DVDs are tested and booted up. You will hear and see the drive lights wink on and off. A hardware (hard drive or CD/DVD) failure will be shown on screen.
13. The POST check is complete and the BIOS hands everything off the main Operating System software.

Okay so how does this POST cycle help you?

During any part of the testing cycle (which takes only a couple of seconds by the way) if something doesn’t work, the computer will give you an audible error signal. In other words, if something bad happens your computer will “beep” at you.

The original BIOS or POST beep codes were first developed by IBM. Today most beep codes are installed by each motherboard manufacturer. While each manufacturer may modify codes for their own testing purposes, most vendors maintain a fairly standard set of codes.

Here are some of the most common PC beep codes:

• 1 short beep - Normal POST - No problems detected
• No beep - no power, power supply, motherboard problem, disconnected CPU, loose card or disconnected speaker
• Continuous beep - Power supply, motherboard, or keyboard problem
• Repeating short beeps - Power supply or motherboard or keyboard
• Repeating long beeps - RAM (memory stick) is unseated
• 1 long, 1 short beep - Motherboard problem
• 1 long, 2 short beeps - Video Card, Video Card Slot
• 1 long, 3 short beeps - Video Card, Video Card Slot
• 3 long Beeps - keyboard or keyboard port (motherboard problem)
• 1 beep, Blank or Incorrect Display - Monitor, Video Card, Video Card Slot

See by watching and “listening” to what your computer is telling you, you will have a jump on any major hardware problems just by powering on your PC.

Despite what anyone tells you, troubleshooting a desktop computer is usually a very straightforward thing.

There are just 10 “moving” parts to a standard desktop or tower PC. A laptop has exactly the same parts (if you exclude the “built-in” screen, keyboard and glidepad)only miniaturized and squeezed into a much smaller case.

The Ten Parts

1. Motherboard, system or mainboard. This is a big circuit board with various “slots” and “sockets” that holds the rest of the parts.

2. CPU or “central processor unit” is the main “chip” inside. It’s the brain of the computer.

3. RAM or “Random Access Memory” comes in “sticks”. RAM acts data holding tanks for the CPU. The more RAM the a computer has; the faster it can operate. Is a view of the RAM installed in a computer.

Expansion Cards is any type of computer circuit card that inserted into the motherboard. This may include Video or Graphic, Sound, Network or Modem.

4. Audio or Sound card. Most modern units have an “onboard” system (see motherboard picture above) that is built into the motherboard. However, replacement and upgrade cards are available.

5. Video or Graphic card. Like sound cards, most computers have “onboard” systems that are built-in. But replacement and upgrade cards are available for special functions like high power video games or digitally record your favorite TV shows like a Tivo.

6. Modem cards (not to be confused with cable modems) are still used for dial-up Internet connections but are slowly being replaced with faster DSL and broadband connections.

7. Network cards are for all Ethernet(wired networks) or broadband and DSL Internet connections (either high-speed cable or phone lines). These cards are part of any wired network.

8. The Hard Drive is the central storage unit for computer. It holds operating systems, motherboard/card software (drivers), applications and other programs. Here is an image of a hard drive in a computer case.

9. CD/DVD Drives have become the primary “removable” storage devices replacing the venerable floppy drive.

10. Floppy Drives, while being phased out, have been the standard since the beginning of personal computers. Many models still use them as the secondary boot device.

Here is an image of floppy drives down thru history

From left to right:
• Qume D/T 8, 8 inch drive, 1.2 MB. Made in 1980.
• Tandon TM 100-2A , 5 1/4 inch drive, 360 KB. Made in 1983.
• Sony MPF920, 3 1/2 inch drive, 1.4 MB. Made in 2004.

11. Case and Power Supply Unit. So, I said ten, but from my point of view, a good power supply unit or PSU and case are some of the most important components in a computer.

A failing power supply unit the computer simply will not boot or run improperly damaging other devices. Your motherboard or CPU may burn out sooner than expected or suffer power fluctuations.

• a. You can see the Power Supply Unit at the back of the case: it’s the “fan” where the main power cord outlet is set. The PSU has two main jobs: provide juice to all the components inside the case and use its’ fan to keep things cool.
• b. The “Case” is usually the “white box” or “black box” or “grey box” everything sets in. Some cases are simple to open. Still others are like trying to untie a Gordian knot. And laptops should only be opened with instructions from repair professionals.
• c. Cables are the most often “forgotten” part in a PC. The multi-color power cables connect the power supply unit to the motherboard and other devices. And while the flat grey data cables run from the motherboard to the floppy, CD/DVD, hard drives

See, I told you, just ten simple, little parts. Well maybe a bit more than ten but most of which you already knew about or have used.

By understanding the basic functions of those parts and applying a little common sense with a wee bit of how-to knowledge, you can effectively uncover and fix most of the problems that are plaguing your PC.