1. What do I do when I have a computer problem?
Submit a work order
Click on the work order icon on the homepage, and login using your staff username and password, then submit the work order. If your work order is over a week old, e-mail your school technician, with copy to the Tech Coordinator. If you have no Internet access, use a neighbor's computer.
2. What can I do if my computer doesn't have any power?
Unplug the Computer from the wall.
Unplug the computer from the wall and wait 5 minutes. Most power supplies have to reset internally before coming back up and the only way to do this is to take away any source of power. Plug the computer back up and if it doesn't come on send to the shop.
3. What can I do if I do not have Access to the Internet?
Check the website you are viewing.
1. Make sure you are logged on to the Network.
2. Make sure the address is correct in the address bar of Internet Explorer.
3. Make sure the web site is appropriate for viewing. If it is blocked and you feel like this is a mistake, feel free to contact us.
4. Why can I not log on to the Network or E-mail?
Make sure everything is working.
1. Check the logon window and make sure your username for the network and not someone else's is in the username line.
2. Make sure you're entering the correct user password for your username.
3. Make sure your password has not expired--a common error for e-mail passwords, which have a limited lifespan.
4. Make sure network cable is connected to the computer and network card is flashing green lights.
5. If the computer is using a hub or switch, make sure it is plugged into outlet. Some schools unplug them in the summer.
6. If nothing helps, complete a work order.
5. What do I do when my computer freezes up?
Try to End Task
You will commonly hear that when the computer freezes up, the computer is locked up. This is not always the case. Sometimes you can hit the "CTRL ALT Delete" keys at the same time and a screen will pop up. This screen is the task screen which tells you the programs that are currently running on your computer. You may think that you do not have these programs open, but you do, they are running in the right hand corner of your screen. Some programs you install are setup to automatically run in the back ground. All programs can be closed except the systray and explorer in Windows 95/98. The task list in Windows XP looks different and you can close all application programs by clicking on the program and clicking End Task
6. My computer is frozen and I don't know why?
Make sure you give enough time to load program.
Computers today will hold a lot of information but sometimes we put so much information on them that they fill up and bog down so that when we open a program it may take a while, so we click again and again. Then we have about three running at the bottom of the screen and that many running in the background using up your computers resources. To resolve this problem make sure you give each program enough time to open and then if you open the program more than once, close it. This can freeze your computer up
7. What to do if CTRL ALT Delete does not bring up a task list? What to do if CTRL ALT Delete does not bring up a task list?
Reset Computer
If the task list does not come up when CTRL ALT Delete keys are pressed and you hit your Caps Lock key and it does not show the computer on Caps Lock then your computer is frozen and you should turn the power off. In our system the power button sometimes has to be held in for as long as 4 secs. to power down.
8. What is Standard Procedure with lockups.
Reboot
Rebooting does cure a multitude of evils; however, if rebooting does not work, you will need a work order.
9. I get a "Non-System Disk Error" when starting the Computer.
Floppy in Drive
If your computer has a floppy disk drive, this most often occurs when you boot your computer up and a floppy disk was left in the drive. Just pop out the floppy disk. This message could also occur when you have no operating system or the computer is experiencing hard drive failure.
10. My computer is running like a turtle.
May have to many programs running
If your computer is running like a turtle, you may have too many programs running in the background. You can CTRL+ALT + DEL and close some of the programs you are not using to solve this problem. Make sure you do not close systray and explorer.
If this is not the problem, you may have other troubles such as malware or spyware, or the network may be experiencing problems. Continued slowness calls for a work order.
11. Windows is giving me a strange error message that I can't figure out. What should I do?
Write down the exact error message.
Most every computer user has gotten some strange Windows error message that only seems to make matters worse. In Microsoft's defense, it is probably to be expected that an operating system that runs so many programs on so many different types of machines would be prone to errors. This does not help you as the user, however. To solve an unexpected, strange error message, the best thing to do is to write the message on the screen down and exactly WHAT you were doing when you got the error (Were you opening a program? Trying to print a document?).
This will help the technician determine what is going wrong with your machine. Then contact Microsoft's technical support line or visit their web site at www.microsoft.com/support to find more information on the error. If you cannot solve the problem yourself, fill out a work order, giving as much information as possible to your technician.
It is also possible that other software or hardware other than Windows is the root of the problem. If you suspect that this is the case, you should contact the appropriate vendor for a solution, or refer the problem to the person who purchased the software/hardware that is giving the problem.
12. I just can't get my mouse and/or keyboard to work at all. Help!
Be sure the mouse or keyboardis connected properly
Be sure to check that you have connected the mouse and/or keyboard to the correct port in the back of your computer. The keyboard port and the mouse port are the same, and it is easy to get them confused. Assuming that you have checked that the mouse/keyboard is connected to the correct port in the back, your mouse/keyboard not working is probably the sign of a damaged connection or a broken port.
Try using another mouse or keyboard on this computer, and if it works, you know that your original eequipment is damaged in some way (probably with its connector.) If another mouse or keyboard does not work, there is probably something wrong with the port. Fill out a work order to have the port checked out by a technician.
13. Monitor Troubles--hazy or not centered.
Try adjusting the controls
When your monitor is hazy, it generally is the signal that your monitor is about to go bad and that it needs to be serviced by a qualified technician. The way to test if your hazy monitor needs repair is to try to black out the screen by setting the contrast on your monitor to total black. If the contrast setting is totally black, yet you still see a white haze on your monitor, the monitor has gone bad and needs to be repaired by a technician. If you are able to get the monitor to go to total black, but when you bring the contrast back up the display is still fairly unclear, try adjusting the "sharpness" setting on your monitor. How to adjust this setting varies widely depending on your model of monitor.
Occasionally the screen is not centered on your monitor. Each monitor has settings that allow the user to adjust the horizontal and vertical placement of the desktop on the monitor display. Generally these adjustments are made by using buttons on the lower edge of the monitor. These buttons are sometimes clearly labeled and other times just marked by obscure symbols. Using these buttons you can change the horizontal and vertical placement of your monitor to center it on the screen.
14. The picture does not take up the whole screen space on my monitor. How can I make the picture take up the whole screen?
Change resolution properties
If the screen resolution settings for your computer are set too low, the display will not take up the whole screen. This can be very annoying and rob you of precious monitor real estate. To fix this, you must change the resolution properties of your display.
Right click your mouse while the cursor is on the screen background, and then adjust the settings.
15. The brightness and contrast on my computer are not right. How do I adjust these settings?
Adjust the monitor settings.
On most monitors the brightness and contrast for the display are set using dials on the side or underneath the lower edge of the monitor, although these settings can also be changed by buttons on the monitor. Simply adjust the dials or use the buttons to set the brightness and contrast to their desired level.
16. I see nothing on my monitor, but my computer and the monitor itself are on. What do I do?
Make sure your cables are connected
This is often most often the result of having a monitor cable come loose. Check the monitor cable coming from the back of the monitor to make sure that it is set tight, and also check the monitor cable where it goes into the back of the computer to make sure that it is securely in the socket. You might also trying unplugging and plugging in again in the monitor cable to see if it was simply a bad placement. If this does not solve the problem, you should try getting a replacement monitor cable, and if one is not available, fill out a work order
17. My monitor still doesn't work.
Try another GOOD monitor
If none of the above troubleshooting techniques work and you have access to another monitor, swap monitors. If this works than you know your monitor is bad. If this does not work then you can assume the video card if bad and you will need to fill out a work order.
18. I can't hear any sound at all. Help! The sound on my computer has never worked.
Make cables are connected and Mute is not on
The first thing to check is that your speaker wires are plugged into the proper port on the back of your computer. You should see a left speaker wire and a right speaker wire, and they might be connected together into one plug. Make certain that you have placed this plug into the port marked with the speaker symbol. Often the microphone port is located right next to the speaker port, and it is easy to get them confused.
If you have checked that the speaker cable is plugged into the back of the computer tightly, then verify that you have power going to your speakers and that the speakers are turned on. Some speaker sets have separate power supplies, while others draw their power from the computer. If the speakers are turned on, turn the volume all the way up so you will know when the sound starts working.
If there is a little speaker symbol on the Taskbar near your clock, double-click on that symbol and make sure that the volume control is set high enough and that the "Mute All" or "Mute" is not checked. If these are checked, it will turn the sound off on your system, even if the speakers and other equipment are working just fine.
19. My sounds still doesn't work.
Fill out a work order
20. My CD-ROM drive "froze" reading this CD. What can I do?
Could be Damaged CD
When a CD-ROM drive locks up, or "freezes", this is often the sign of a damaged CD. If there are scratches or any damage at all to the underside of a CD, then the drive will not be able to read the disk and freeze up. You will need to get a replacement of the CD itself. It is important that you always keep your CDs in their cases and out of direct sunlight. Handling the disks with care will ensure that the data written to them will remain readable by the CD drive.
21. The light on my CD-ROM drive blinks every few seconds. Is there something wrong with the drive, or is this normal?
Yes it is normal.
This blinking green light is actually normal and good news. It means that there is a CD in your drive, and that the disk is being read by your drive. The light indicates that the CD drive is currently reading information from the disk. If the light is not blinking, then your drive is in an idle state (not reading any information.) This light is similar to the light on your floppy disk drive.
22. The door on my CD-ROM drive is stuck and the CD will not eject. How do I get the CD out without damaging it or the drive? Is there anything I can do?
You should be able to get the CD door to open and eject the disk without damage quite easily.
You should be able to get the CD door to open and eject the disk without damage quite easily. Each CD-ROM drive has a tiny round hole in the front of it, a hole easy to overlook. This is the emergency release for the CD drive. Simply take the end of a paper clip or safety pin and place it into the little hole and at the same time press the normal eject button for the drive. The drive will open and out comes the CD. If the CD has been jammed or caught in the drive, you might have to play with the disk's positioning a little bit to get the disk out. This emergency release should only be used in an emergency and not as a routine way to open a damaged CD drive.
23. What is the best way to prevent "Lost Files?"
Backup, backup, backup..............
Prevention is the best policy. One way to not lose files is to save often. My policy would be if document I was working on was something I did not want to retype, make a backup. Save it a disk, hard drive and network, all three or at the least two of them. When typing a document I save after a couple of paragraphs.
24. And, if they are still lost???????????
Always remember which program you were working in.
When you think you may havelost a file/document, always remember which program you were working in, that way you can search a file with that extension. For example if I were looking for Office Word file I could search for a file with the doc file extension and use the * as wild card. (*.doc). Click on Start-Find-Files. Type *.doc and that will pull up all files with a doc extension.
Or if you could not remember what it was named you could search by date modified under the Find feature and find all files modified or created on a certain date. Under Windows XP, the Start-Search feature works the same way as the Find feature in Windows 95.
Submit a work order
Click on the work order icon on the homepage, and login using your staff username and password, then submit the work order. If your work order is over a week old, e-mail your school technician, with copy to the Tech Coordinator. If you have no Internet access, use a neighbor's computer.
2. What can I do if my computer doesn't have any power?
Unplug the Computer from the wall.
Unplug the computer from the wall and wait 5 minutes. Most power supplies have to reset internally before coming back up and the only way to do this is to take away any source of power. Plug the computer back up and if it doesn't come on send to the shop.
3. What can I do if I do not have Access to the Internet?
Check the website you are viewing.
1. Make sure you are logged on to the Network.
2. Make sure the address is correct in the address bar of Internet Explorer.
3. Make sure the web site is appropriate for viewing. If it is blocked and you feel like this is a mistake, feel free to contact us.
4. Why can I not log on to the Network or E-mail?
Make sure everything is working.
1. Check the logon window and make sure your username for the network and not someone else's is in the username line.
2. Make sure you're entering the correct user password for your username.
3. Make sure your password has not expired--a common error for e-mail passwords, which have a limited lifespan.
4. Make sure network cable is connected to the computer and network card is flashing green lights.
5. If the computer is using a hub or switch, make sure it is plugged into outlet. Some schools unplug them in the summer.
6. If nothing helps, complete a work order.
5. What do I do when my computer freezes up?
Try to End Task
You will commonly hear that when the computer freezes up, the computer is locked up. This is not always the case. Sometimes you can hit the "CTRL ALT Delete" keys at the same time and a screen will pop up. This screen is the task screen which tells you the programs that are currently running on your computer. You may think that you do not have these programs open, but you do, they are running in the right hand corner of your screen. Some programs you install are setup to automatically run in the back ground. All programs can be closed except the systray and explorer in Windows 95/98. The task list in Windows XP looks different and you can close all application programs by clicking on the program and clicking End Task
6. My computer is frozen and I don't know why?
Make sure you give enough time to load program.
Computers today will hold a lot of information but sometimes we put so much information on them that they fill up and bog down so that when we open a program it may take a while, so we click again and again. Then we have about three running at the bottom of the screen and that many running in the background using up your computers resources. To resolve this problem make sure you give each program enough time to open and then if you open the program more than once, close it. This can freeze your computer up
7. What to do if CTRL ALT Delete does not bring up a task list? What to do if CTRL ALT Delete does not bring up a task list?
Reset Computer
If the task list does not come up when CTRL ALT Delete keys are pressed and you hit your Caps Lock key and it does not show the computer on Caps Lock then your computer is frozen and you should turn the power off. In our system the power button sometimes has to be held in for as long as 4 secs. to power down.
8. What is Standard Procedure with lockups.
Reboot
Rebooting does cure a multitude of evils; however, if rebooting does not work, you will need a work order.
9. I get a "Non-System Disk Error" when starting the Computer.
Floppy in Drive
If your computer has a floppy disk drive, this most often occurs when you boot your computer up and a floppy disk was left in the drive. Just pop out the floppy disk. This message could also occur when you have no operating system or the computer is experiencing hard drive failure.
10. My computer is running like a turtle.
May have to many programs running
If your computer is running like a turtle, you may have too many programs running in the background. You can CTRL+ALT + DEL and close some of the programs you are not using to solve this problem. Make sure you do not close systray and explorer.
If this is not the problem, you may have other troubles such as malware or spyware, or the network may be experiencing problems. Continued slowness calls for a work order.
11. Windows is giving me a strange error message that I can't figure out. What should I do?
Write down the exact error message.
Most every computer user has gotten some strange Windows error message that only seems to make matters worse. In Microsoft's defense, it is probably to be expected that an operating system that runs so many programs on so many different types of machines would be prone to errors. This does not help you as the user, however. To solve an unexpected, strange error message, the best thing to do is to write the message on the screen down and exactly WHAT you were doing when you got the error (Were you opening a program? Trying to print a document?).
This will help the technician determine what is going wrong with your machine. Then contact Microsoft's technical support line or visit their web site at www.microsoft.com/support to find more information on the error. If you cannot solve the problem yourself, fill out a work order, giving as much information as possible to your technician.
It is also possible that other software or hardware other than Windows is the root of the problem. If you suspect that this is the case, you should contact the appropriate vendor for a solution, or refer the problem to the person who purchased the software/hardware that is giving the problem.
12. I just can't get my mouse and/or keyboard to work at all. Help!
Be sure the mouse or keyboardis connected properly
Be sure to check that you have connected the mouse and/or keyboard to the correct port in the back of your computer. The keyboard port and the mouse port are the same, and it is easy to get them confused. Assuming that you have checked that the mouse/keyboard is connected to the correct port in the back, your mouse/keyboard not working is probably the sign of a damaged connection or a broken port.
Try using another mouse or keyboard on this computer, and if it works, you know that your original eequipment is damaged in some way (probably with its connector.) If another mouse or keyboard does not work, there is probably something wrong with the port. Fill out a work order to have the port checked out by a technician.
13. Monitor Troubles--hazy or not centered.
Try adjusting the controls
When your monitor is hazy, it generally is the signal that your monitor is about to go bad and that it needs to be serviced by a qualified technician. The way to test if your hazy monitor needs repair is to try to black out the screen by setting the contrast on your monitor to total black. If the contrast setting is totally black, yet you still see a white haze on your monitor, the monitor has gone bad and needs to be repaired by a technician. If you are able to get the monitor to go to total black, but when you bring the contrast back up the display is still fairly unclear, try adjusting the "sharpness" setting on your monitor. How to adjust this setting varies widely depending on your model of monitor.
Occasionally the screen is not centered on your monitor. Each monitor has settings that allow the user to adjust the horizontal and vertical placement of the desktop on the monitor display. Generally these adjustments are made by using buttons on the lower edge of the monitor. These buttons are sometimes clearly labeled and other times just marked by obscure symbols. Using these buttons you can change the horizontal and vertical placement of your monitor to center it on the screen.
14. The picture does not take up the whole screen space on my monitor. How can I make the picture take up the whole screen?
Change resolution properties
If the screen resolution settings for your computer are set too low, the display will not take up the whole screen. This can be very annoying and rob you of precious monitor real estate. To fix this, you must change the resolution properties of your display.
Right click your mouse while the cursor is on the screen background, and then adjust the settings.
15. The brightness and contrast on my computer are not right. How do I adjust these settings?
Adjust the monitor settings.
On most monitors the brightness and contrast for the display are set using dials on the side or underneath the lower edge of the monitor, although these settings can also be changed by buttons on the monitor. Simply adjust the dials or use the buttons to set the brightness and contrast to their desired level.
16. I see nothing on my monitor, but my computer and the monitor itself are on. What do I do?
Make sure your cables are connected
This is often most often the result of having a monitor cable come loose. Check the monitor cable coming from the back of the monitor to make sure that it is set tight, and also check the monitor cable where it goes into the back of the computer to make sure that it is securely in the socket. You might also trying unplugging and plugging in again in the monitor cable to see if it was simply a bad placement. If this does not solve the problem, you should try getting a replacement monitor cable, and if one is not available, fill out a work order
17. My monitor still doesn't work.
Try another GOOD monitor
If none of the above troubleshooting techniques work and you have access to another monitor, swap monitors. If this works than you know your monitor is bad. If this does not work then you can assume the video card if bad and you will need to fill out a work order.
18. I can't hear any sound at all. Help! The sound on my computer has never worked.
Make cables are connected and Mute is not on
The first thing to check is that your speaker wires are plugged into the proper port on the back of your computer. You should see a left speaker wire and a right speaker wire, and they might be connected together into one plug. Make certain that you have placed this plug into the port marked with the speaker symbol. Often the microphone port is located right next to the speaker port, and it is easy to get them confused.
If you have checked that the speaker cable is plugged into the back of the computer tightly, then verify that you have power going to your speakers and that the speakers are turned on. Some speaker sets have separate power supplies, while others draw their power from the computer. If the speakers are turned on, turn the volume all the way up so you will know when the sound starts working.
If there is a little speaker symbol on the Taskbar near your clock, double-click on that symbol and make sure that the volume control is set high enough and that the "Mute All" or "Mute" is not checked. If these are checked, it will turn the sound off on your system, even if the speakers and other equipment are working just fine.
19. My sounds still doesn't work.
Fill out a work order
20. My CD-ROM drive "froze" reading this CD. What can I do?
Could be Damaged CD
When a CD-ROM drive locks up, or "freezes", this is often the sign of a damaged CD. If there are scratches or any damage at all to the underside of a CD, then the drive will not be able to read the disk and freeze up. You will need to get a replacement of the CD itself. It is important that you always keep your CDs in their cases and out of direct sunlight. Handling the disks with care will ensure that the data written to them will remain readable by the CD drive.
21. The light on my CD-ROM drive blinks every few seconds. Is there something wrong with the drive, or is this normal?
Yes it is normal.
This blinking green light is actually normal and good news. It means that there is a CD in your drive, and that the disk is being read by your drive. The light indicates that the CD drive is currently reading information from the disk. If the light is not blinking, then your drive is in an idle state (not reading any information.) This light is similar to the light on your floppy disk drive.
22. The door on my CD-ROM drive is stuck and the CD will not eject. How do I get the CD out without damaging it or the drive? Is there anything I can do?
You should be able to get the CD door to open and eject the disk without damage quite easily.
You should be able to get the CD door to open and eject the disk without damage quite easily. Each CD-ROM drive has a tiny round hole in the front of it, a hole easy to overlook. This is the emergency release for the CD drive. Simply take the end of a paper clip or safety pin and place it into the little hole and at the same time press the normal eject button for the drive. The drive will open and out comes the CD. If the CD has been jammed or caught in the drive, you might have to play with the disk's positioning a little bit to get the disk out. This emergency release should only be used in an emergency and not as a routine way to open a damaged CD drive.
23. What is the best way to prevent "Lost Files?"
Backup, backup, backup..............
Prevention is the best policy. One way to not lose files is to save often. My policy would be if document I was working on was something I did not want to retype, make a backup. Save it a disk, hard drive and network, all three or at the least two of them. When typing a document I save after a couple of paragraphs.
24. And, if they are still lost???????????
Always remember which program you were working in.
When you think you may havelost a file/document, always remember which program you were working in, that way you can search a file with that extension. For example if I were looking for Office Word file I could search for a file with the doc file extension and use the * as wild card. (*.doc). Click on Start-Find-Files. Type *.doc and that will pull up all files with a doc extension.
Or if you could not remember what it was named you could search by date modified under the Find feature and find all files modified or created on a certain date. Under Windows XP, the Start-Search feature works the same way as the Find feature in Windows 95.