Conquer the most common computer problems - includes a related article on computer maintenance prevention, and one on words of encouragement

Home Office Computing, Jan, 1991 by Corey Sandler

CONQUER The Most Common Computer Problems

Simple Troubleshooting Checklists for Owners of IBM Compatibles

Breathes there a computer user so bold that his or her heart has never skipped a beat when the trusty old PC refused to spring to life one day?

Like the family car dying on the way to the delivery room, or the oven refusing to light when the boss is coming for dinner, a disaster like this always seems to happen at the most inopportunate time.

We can rail at the gods: "Why me?" But problems (computer problems included) will continue to be part of life. The good news, though, is that most of the things that go wrong with IBM-compatible personal computers are relatively minor, and won't cause the prudent PC user too much grief. In fact, many problems can be anticipated and avoided if you're alert to them--which you will be by the time you've finished reading this article.

Prudent computer users are those who take basic precautions in caring for their equipment and who never let all of their data eggs reside in one storage basket. The three cardinal rules of crisis-free PC use are, Perform backups daily; perform backups every 24 hours; and perform backups seven days a week. (For several reliable methods of backing up your data, see "Three Easy Backup Strategies That Can't Fail," August 1990, page 48.)

In this article, I'll start by giving you a grounding in PC troubleshooting--I've included a handy checklist of simple causes to investigate. Then we'll take a deeper look at six common hardware and software problems and investigate some possible cures. The prudent user will also want to study the box, "An Ounce or Two of Prevention," for some essentials of PC preventive maintenance.

TROUBLESHOOTING BASICS

Troubleshooting is the process of winnowing a problem's possible causes by the process of elimination. Ask yourself "What has changed since the last time this computer worked properly?" Frequently the answer will point to the most likely cause. Every troubleshooting session should begin with this all-important question.

If the answer doesn't lead directly to a solution, here are the five Big Easy PC Troubleshooting Basics that will get you up and running a suprisingly large percentage of the time.

1. Is there power? Is the malfunctioning computer or peripheral plugged in--and turned on? Is the power strip switched on? Is there power at the wall outlet?

2. Are the necessary cables properly connected? Are cables running to and from the proper ports and connectors? Are they firmly seated and securely fastened? Check them one by one.

3. If your computer is on but won't boot, did you leave a nonsystem disk in drive A?

4. Is your monitor on, but blank? Check the brightness and contrast controls; are they on the darkest settings?

5. If you type at the keyboard and nothing happens, is the keyboard securely plugged in? Is it locked?

Of course, not every problem is a Big Easy. You may have to deal with more subtle difficulties than switches, dials, and cables. Let's explore the six most common categories of computer problems and their solutions.

1 MY COMPUTER WON'T BOOT

Things to check: Did I leave a nonsystem disk in drive A? Have I erased files from--or copied files to--the root directory of my hard-disk drive since I last booted the computer? Was there a power failure while the computer was on? In order for a computer system to boot (start up), all of its electronic and mechanical components must be functioning properly, and the system needs to find and load three operating-system files--COMMAND COM and two "hidden" files that you'll probably never see the names of. While a variety of causes can result in "boot failure," the most likely problem in booting up is that the system can't find these three essential files.

If you left a nonsystem disk (a disk that doesn't contain the three essential system files) in drive A, you'll get the message "Non-System disk or disk error" or some similar message. Simply remove the disk and reboot (press Ctrl, Alt, and Del simultaneously) and you should be on your way.

If you get the "Non-System disk or disk error" message and you haven't left a nonsystem disk in drive A, it means that the system can't find all the proper system files on the hard disk. Could you have erased any or all of the contents of your hard-disk drive's root directory (where the system files reside)? Or might you have copied to your hard disk the contents of a floppy disk that included the three system files? If so, and the system files on the floppy were from a different version of DOS, your computer won't run with the resulting mix of operating system parts. In either case, the solution is to boot the computer from a copy of your original DOS disk in one of the floppy-disk drives and recopy COMMAND.COM to the root directory of C. While you're at it, use the SYS command (SYS C:) to copy the two hidden system files to the hard disk as well. You should now be able to reboot from the hard disk.

Tip: A smart and easy safety precaution is to keep a floppy disk on hand at all times that contains the three system files and the latest versions of your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, two important files that help to get your system up and running properly. In fact, if you can, limit the contents of your root directory to what will fit on a single floppy disk, and copy everything to this "emergency" disk. If you should have a hard-drive failure, you can boot the system from this disk and easily recopy files to the hard disk, as needed.