PC Troubleshooting – One Weird Keyboard Problem

One Weird Keyboard Problem – Troubleshooting

By John R Smith

Three days ago, after Tom adjusted some keyboard settings, he met a weird problem: the “NUM” light was in green all the time, but he was unable to input any key on the screen, this problem went on after he restarted his computer. Then he turned to me.

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Check Out a Hard Drive: How to Use Windows ScanDisk

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.
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Seven More Early Warning Signs of a Hard Drive Crash

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…
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Seven Early Warning Signs of a Hard Drive Crash

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

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What to Look For In a Replacement Hard Drive

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.

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Broken Hard Drive? How to recover your data files

“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. Read the rest of this entry »

Ten Fast Fixes for “Slow Computers” that really work

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?” Read the rest of this entry »

Desktops are from Chrysler™ & Laptops are from Refrigadare™ – Part Two

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. Read the rest of this entry »

Desktops are from Chrysler™ & Laptops are from Refrigadare™

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? Read the rest of this entry »

Is that Your PC I Smell Burning? -

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.

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