Computer System

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Ekhosuehi K. Osazuwa

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 Published in 2016

System
Troubleshooting and Repairs

Copyright © 2016

ISBN
9788230726495

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any
information storage and retrieval system, without writing permission from
the publisher.

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 Preface
System troubleshooting is an interesting course and so is this book, you will find it
very useful around, if you are interested in Computer maintenance and fixing’ the
ideas are based on many years of experience and research, however the Author will
not be responsible for any damage as a result of following any of this advice, but it
works for me and I know it will certainly work for you.

This book is therefore written to meet the requirement of System Troubleshooting

courses at the tertiary levels, be it in the Universities, Polytechnics or any Computer
Colleges or Training Centers.

Because Computer Troubleshooting is a very technical course, each topic and various
issues have been explained using practical approaches, even Computer technician will
find it helpful; this book is very precise in order to cover a lot of system
troubleshooting issues out of many.

This book is therefore recommended for Computer Science Students, Computer

Technicians and those who are interested in fixing their system themselves.

EKHOSUEHI, K O

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 Table of Contents
CHARPTR ONE What is System Maintenance

CHAPTER TWO System Troubleshooting Technique

CHAPTER THREE Troubleshooting Common Problems

CHAPTER FOUR Basic Network Troubleshooting

CHAPTER FIVE Common Laptop Problem and Solutions

CHAPTER SIX Keyboard, Mouse and Webcam Fix

CHAPTER SEVEN Laptop Power Problems

CHAPTER EIGHT Laptop Motherboard Repair

CHAPTER NINE Computer Maintenance Tips

CHAPTER TEN Printers Troubleshooting

CHAPTER ELEVEN 5 Reasons Why Computer Maintenance Is

Important

CHAPTER TWELVE Error Message

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Illegal Operation

CHAPTER FOURTEEN Software Troubleshooting

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Partitioning and Formatting Hard Disk

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Windows Installation Procedure

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Defragmenting

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Pc Virus and Treatment

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 CHARPTR ONE
What is System Maintenance

System maintenance is a broad phrase that refers to a variety of computer maintenance

tasks that are required to keep a system working. Preventive and corrective
maintenance are the two fundamental components of system maintenance. Preventive
maintenance entails taking steps to keep the system running well, whereas corrective
maintenance entails replacing or repairing a system or its components once they have
failed.

Preventative Maintenance

The proactive maintenance of equipment before a malfunction or failure develops is

known as preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is performing routine
chores to ensure that your system is operating at peak performance and to prevent
problems from arising. This is comparable to how a car gets serviced on a regular
basis: Similarly, you must inspect the oil, lights, engine, and other components on a
regular basis.

This is comparable to how a car gets serviced on a regular basis: The same theory
applies to preventive maintenance for a computer, just as you must check the oil,
lights, engine, and other parts of your automobile on a regular basis in order for it to
work properly. Installing Windows updates, scanning for viruses and spyware, and
running cleaning tools are just a few of the preventative actions you may take. At least
once a week, anti-virus and anti-malware scans should be performed. As new viruses
and malware emerge on a regular basis, make sure to run updates for these apps as
soon as they are available. Your computer and any information on it can be protected
by keeping your network secure, installing a firewall, and following safe downloading
habits. Surges in power and

Electronic equipment can be destroyed by power surges and overheating, so invest in a

surge protector and clean your equipment regularly to remove dust. It's always a good
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idea to have a backup for crucial files in case any preventative measures fail: If your
computer needs to be replaced, invest in an external hard drive to save any vital files.

Maintenance that is corrective

Corrective maintenance, sometimes known as "repair," is the process of repairing an

issue after it has already occurred. The purpose of this type of maintenance is to get
the system back up and running by either fixing the problem or replacing the damaged
parts. Virus and malware removal, uninstalling dangerous programs, reformatting, and
executing a system restore are all common corrective techniques.

Many common computer issues are simple to resolve and may not necessitate the
assistance of an IT specialist. It is critical to identify the problem and determine the
root cause before performing remedial maintenance. If you're not sure what's causing
your problem or how to fix it, consulting an IT expert is the best course of action.

Increasing the Reliability of Your Machine

There are numerous simple steps that can be taken to improve computer performance
and reliability. Your computer will slow down drastically if you don't have enough
hard disk space. Remove unwanted apps and defragment your hard drive to free up
hard disk space. Defragmentation can make your computer run faster and should be
done at least once a month. You will be prompted to install new apps when you do so.

When you turn on the computer, you will often be given the option of having the
program start immediately; this is sometimes the default option. The more automatic
programs you have running, the slower your computer will be, therefore you should
disable them whenever possible. One of the simplest things you can do to make your
Internet connection operate quicker is to clean your Web history and delete temporary
Internet files. The more often you do these things, the less time it takes, so try to do

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them once a week at the very least. Slow Internet speeds can also be caused by
spyware and viruses. Make sure you have anti-malware software installed, keep it up
to date, and run a scan at least once a week.

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 CHAPTER TWO

SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNIQUE

Techniques and strategies to solve computer hardware problems.

1. Try different component

The most powerful trouble-shooting technique is to isolate the problem to a specific

component by trial-and-error. Swap compatible components and see if the system still
works. Try different peripherals on different machines and see if the same problem
occurs. Make one change at a time.

2. Always check cables and connectors

Most computer problems are related to cabling and connections. Ensure all cables are
connected firmly. IDE, SATA and power cables can often go loose. Ensure
microprocessor, memory modules, and adapters such as video card and sound card are
inserted correctly.

3. Don't stop trying

Once you are tied and have spent too much time on the same problem, leave it for
some time and after a while go back with some new ideas or seek new idea form
someone who can help.

4. Observe your system

Observe the performance of your system, consider the error messages carefully, and
don’t just escape them.

Open the computer and observe inside. The system unit contain about 3V to 12V DC
voltage

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 PC HARDWARE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS

Due to the low cost of some of the hardware components, it’s usually not advisable to
repair the IC level problems of the components, instead they should be replaced. The
repair cost of the component will most likely be high as compared to the actual cost of
the component. There are some very excellent hardware problem detection tools that
are very helpful in identifying and isolating the problems. These tools included Multi
meter, Cable Tester, POST card and software diagnostic disk.

• Software Diagnostics Routines

Many disk based diagnostic methods can check the system and identify the problems
by running the number of tests on the different areas of the system hardware. These
tests produce the visual reports and error messages to identify the nature of the
problem. The most common software troubleshooting routines check the computer’s
memory, keyboard, monitor, system processor, and hard disk’s speed. If the system
CPU, hard disk and system clock is working properly, then you will be able to localize
the problem by targeting the other points in the system. If the diagnostic tools/routines
identify a number of defective software/hardware, then you should replace one
defective unit a time.

• Troubleshooting with Multimeter

Testing tools can help in isolating the hardware or software problems and digital
multimeters are most important tool for the electronic troubleshooting. Digital
Multimeter and other electronic test instruments are available in analog and digital
form and these instruments can be used to measure the electrical values of the voltage,
current in amperes and resistance in ohms. These devices are known as Volt-ohm-
meters (VOMs) for the analog signals and digital multimeters (DMMs) for the digital
types. You can also check the transistors, capacitors, motor windings and diodes with
the digital multimeter. In computer troubleshooting, most of the tests of the digital
multi-meter are to check the DC readings.

• Troubleshooting with Cable Testers

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The most common hardware related compute networking problem is the bad cabling
and RJ-45 connectors. There are a number of devices, designed for testing the network
communication cabling. These devices include continuity tester, time domain reflector
meter and cabling testers. Data cabling testers are designed to perform a number of
different types of tests on the UTP/STP and coaxial cables. The master end of the
cable tester is attached to one end of the cable and the load unit of the cable tester is
attached to the other end of the cable. The master unit sends the signals through the
cable and reads them from the load unit. When testing the cables, these devices
normally detect the problems such as crossed-over wiring, broken wires, short
connections and the cable connections that are improperly impaired.

LIST OF SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS

The following are basic tools used by a Computer Technicians for Desktop and Laptop
systems, system tools are both hand and electric powered tools.

1. Phillips Screwdriver

The average size Phillip Screwdriver is good and ok for most desktop computer while
the tiny ones are preferable for laptops

2. Star Tipped Screwdriver

This tool is commonly used for motherboard, Dell and Macintosh systems, it normal
comes in pack with multiple heads and sizes for various Laptops types.

3. Electrical Tape
For wrapping cables and others wires in or on the system to secure them from bridging
components within the computer system.

4. Mini Pliers
the mini long needle nosed pliers is better to use on laptop system, the normal size
plier is too big, but having it around sometimes become useful for other stuff around
the work shop.

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 5. Heater or Heat Gun
Hand Heater is an important tool to have around, the better the quality the better the
results of your repairs.

6. Hand dryer
Hand dryer like the heater or heat gun with good temperature degrees are good for
heating your motherboard, graphic card and other components.

7. Hand Brush and Toothbrush

Weather you believe it or not, the brush is one of the most important tools used for
laptop and desktop repair, they are good for cleaning keyboards, CPU fans, etc. and
for washing your motherboard.

8. Scissors
The smaller the better for cutting thin and narrow size tips.

9. Glue
There are varieties of Glue to choose from, from super Glue to 4 minis dry Glue, the
best product you choose the best result to expect, the one with better strength and fast
drying time is recommended.

10. Needles or Toothpicks

They have many uses around laptop repairs and specially for accessing narrow areas
during component level troubleshooting

11. Blower
This work effective in cleaning your system from dust, especially in areas where your
brush can get to. They are fast too as is electric powered.

12. Thermal Paste

You are either using a thermal Paste or a silver paste for cooling your CPU, ceramic or
other paste are not advisable
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 13. 30-to-50-Watt Soldering Iron
This is another tool to have, while repairing computer system, as some component
may not to be resolder or unsoldered as the case maybe. The tinner the tip of your
soldering iron the better.

14. Liquid Cleaning Solution

This solution is use to cleaning any Circuit Board or motherboard, it can be as simple
as a clean water and detergent or any liquid good for cleaning components and remove
dirt and so forth but not flue

15. Multi-meter
This comes in wide variety of quality choices and are useful for reading components.
16. Logic pro

17. Oscilloscope

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 CHAPTER THREE

TROUBLESHOOTING COMMON PROBLEMS

Simple Solutions to Common Problems

Most of the time, problems can be fixed by using simple troubleshooting techniques,
such as closing and reopening the program. It's important to try these simple solutions
before resorting to more extreme measures. If the problem still isn't fixed, you can
then try other troubleshooting techniques, such as reinstalling the software.

Common Problems:

1. No bootable devices strike f1 to retry boot, f2 for setup utility….

Solution:
▪ Hard disk may not be connected, make sure connector is OK
▪ Hard disk is bad, replace it with a new one

3. System restarts frequently or hangs.

Solution:
▪ Check for stable power voltage
• Check to make sure your processor fan is working well
• Make sure the heat sink is properly and tightly fixed to the CPU
▪ Check your system for virus
▪ If the frequent restarting occurs after you install a program or a driver,
uninstall that program or driver through safe mode, by pressing F8
when the system is rebooting.
▪ Corrupt operating system may also be responsible, reinstall the OS.

4. System did not boot to desktop

Solution:
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 ▪ Bad memory may be responsible: replace memory
▪ Operating system may be corrupt: reinstall OS
▪ If the system boot and hang on welcome, press ctrl +Alt and Delete to
continue booting to desktop, then scan for virus and set system date and
time
▪ Hard disk may be weak, change hard disk
▪ virus may be responsible, reinstall OS, or scan for virus if possible

5 System unit is on and the keyboard Num lock light is on when pressed,
but nothing is showing on the monitor

Solution:
▪ Check to make sure the Monitor power and signal cable is properly
fixed.
▪ Check to adjust monitor contest, also verify that the VGA card of the
system unit is working properly
▪ Try the system unit with a different monitor

6 The monitor displays during booting, but unable to display as soon as the
system boot to desktop.

Solution:
▪ Change the screen resolution, do it through safe mode by pressing F8
when system is booting.
Note: changing resolution
In window 7(Ultimate Edition)
• Right click on the desktop
• Choose resolution
• On the left side of the screen click on adjust resolution and use your mouse
pointer to drag the resolution scale to desire pixel

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In window 8 and 10
• Open Screen Resolution by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel,
and then, under Appearance and Personalization, clicking Adjust screen
resolution.

• Click the drop-down list next to Resolution, move the slider to the resolution
you want, and then click Apply.

• Click Keep to use the new resolution, or click Revert to go back to the previous
resolution.

(it can also be done through the desktop by right clicking)

7. System unit is on when powered, but keyboard Num lock is not lit when
pressed and nothing is displaying on the screen.

Solution:
▪ Check to make sure monitor and keyboard are ok
▪ Check and make sure memory is good and properly seated
▪ Make sure processor is ok
▪ If both the memory and processor are OK then the main board is
probably bad
8. Window suddenly stop detecting a working CD/ DVD drive

Solution:
▪ Check both power and data cables or connector
▪ Reinstall OS using the same drive, and If the drive can not install OS,
the lens is probably bad

9. When your system is about to boot to OS it displays blue screen and

restart immediately.

Solution:
▪ Memory may be bad: replace

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 ▪ Hard disk may be bad: replace
▪ Reinstall the OS, if both the memory and HD are good
▪ It can be software conflict, uninstall the last software or driver

10. My monitor is blank.

Solution:

▪ Make sure the monitor is turned on. Try pressing the power button on the
monitor again.
▪ Check to see if it is in sleep mode. Wiggle the mouse around or press the enter
key.
▪ If the green light is not on in front, check the power cord connecting the
monitor into the outlet.
▪ If the green light is on, check the brightness level by using the buttons on the
monitor.
▪ Check the cable connection from the monitor into the computer or the
equipment that links your computer to the monitor.

11. No sound.

Solution:

▪ Check the cord at the back of the computer and the speaker if is a desktop
system. Speakers are plugged into the computer. There are usually three or four
sound holes Most times the speaker outlet is the green hole, so plug in your
speaker cable.
▪ try adjusting the volume control (the speaker icon) on the task bar. Clicking on
the sliding
▪ Click once on your Volume icon on your task bar. Move the sliding bar up and
see if you can hear anything. The problem could be the volume is too low.
▪ Double click on the volume icon and the volume control box appears. Make
sure the MUTE button at the bottom is not checked.
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12. System is "freezing." And will not respond to either keyboard or mouse
clicks,

Solution:

▪ Hold down the Ctrl Key and the Alt Key at the same time and then tap on the
Delete key. You will be given a dialog box, click on the name of the current
program and then select END TASK, it may take a few minutes to comply.
You may see another box saying the application isn't responding. Click on
END TASK and it will shut down that particular application.
▪ If the Control/Alt/Delete combination doesn't work, then press the power
button on your machine until the power is off. then turn it on again.

13. The power and charger led does not come on, and there is no display on
screen.

Solution:

▪ Check that your main power cable and the Laptop charger are working well.
And if is a desktop, make sure the power cable is plugged into the ATX power
supply. Make sure you have connected the ATX power connector to the
motherboard.
▪ Check if the cable for the power switch at front of the PC is connected to the
correct pins on the motherboard.

14. The PC does not boot, but is beeping.

Solution:

Different BIOS manufacturers use various number of beeps to indicate faults with
various hardware. In an Award BIOS motherboard, you will get following beeps:
Please refer to your motherboard manual to confirm what the beeps are trying to tell
you.

▪ 1 long 2 short: Graphics card is not securely placed, or faulty.

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 ▪ 1 long 3 short: Graphics card is not securely placed, or faulty video memory.
▪ Continuous beeps: No memory, or memory not securely placed, or could be
faulty- replace memory
▪ Continuous high/low beeps: No CPU, or CPU not securely placed, or could
be faulty. Or keyboard key may be pressed down

15. Program Runs Slowly or Isn't Working Right

If a program is running slowly or otherwise isn't working right, the first thing you
should try is closing the program and reopening it again.
You can also shut down your computer, wait a few seconds, and boot it up again.
Some minor problems will work themselves out when you do this.

16. Program is Completely Unresponsive

If a program has become completely unresponsive, you can press (and hold)
Control+Alt+Delete on your keyboard to open the Task Manager. You can then select
the program that isn't working and click End Task. If you are using a Mac, you can
press Option+Command+Esc to open a similar dialog box.

17. Windows Shutting Down Message Will Not Disappear

Sometimes Windows will freeze during the shutdown process. If this happens, the
Windows is Shutting Down message screen will stay active on your screen. To finish
shutting down the computer, press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds, or
until the computer turns off.

18. Computer Begins Randomly Rebooting or Crashing

Check for overheating. Make sure the vents in the case are not blocked. Confirm that
there is good air flow around the computer and the CPU fan is working well.
Update your antivirus software and scan for viruses.

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19. How to Troubleshoot Color Issues

Are the colors "off" on the screen? Do you have problems with images being too dark
or too bright?

There a number of different reasons why your monitor may not be representing color
properly

Here's How:

1. Check the cable between the monitor and the computer to make sure it is
secure. Each end should be tightly fastened. (desktop only)
2. adjust the brightness and contrast settings. If available, you may also need to
adjust the color balance and temperature settings. (desktop only)
3. Adjust the color quality setting for the video card. This will often help resolve
issues where the colors, especially in photos, appear incorrect.
4. If you have access to another monitor, try it in place of the one with the color
issues. If the problem goes away replace the monitor. If the problem duplicates
on the new monitor, there is most likely an issue with the video card.

20. Noisy Hard Drive

HARD drives are usually nearly silent but some do make a muted clicking sound when
they're being accessed - this is normal.

On the other hand, if you start hearing noises only occasionally or noises that you've
never heard before - like clicking, grinding or squealing - your hard drive may be
failing.

1. Run free hard drive diagnostic software, already available on many PCs or
available on the Internet. Additionally, more advanced diagnostic software is
available for a cost from third party software developers.

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 Note: At best, diagnostic software will only mark the areas of the hard drive
that are failing as "bad" and prevent the computer from using them in the
future. It will not truly fix a hard drive that is physically failing.

2. If any corrections made by the diagnostics software do not temporarily resolve

the hard drive noise, do a complete backup of your system and replace the hard
drive immediately.
3. If the diagnostics software helps resolve the clicking, grinding or squealing
noises keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution. Chances are, the
hard drive will continue to fail until it is completely unusable.

The permanent solution is to do a complete backup of your system and replace

the hard drive as soon as possible.

Note: Since there is no good way to repair a failing hard drive, protecting your data by
performing regular backups is essential.
21. Troubleshoot an Error in a URL

Few things are more frustrating than when you click a link or type in a lengthy web
site address and the page doesn't load, sometimes resulting in a 404 error or another
similar error.

While there are a number of reasons this might happen, often times the URL is simply
incorrect.

If there's a problem with a URL, these easy-to-follow steps will help you find it:

Here's How:

1. If you're using the http: portion of the URL, did you include the forward
slashes after the colon?
2. Did you remember the www? Some websites require this to load properly.
3. Did you remember the .com, .net, or other top level domain?
4. Did you type the actual page name if necessary?

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 For example, most web pages have specific names like
bakedapplerecipe.html or man-saves-life-on-hwy-10.aspx, etc.

5. Are you using back slashes \\ instead of the correct forward slashes // after the
http: portion of the URL and throughout the rest of the URL as necessary?
6. Check the www. Did you forget a w or add an extra by mistake - wwww?
7. Did you type the correct file extension for the page?

For example, there's a world of difference in .html and .htm.

8. Are you using the correct capitalization? Everything after the third slash in a
URL, including folders and file names, is case sensitive.

For example, http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsu/g/termurl.htm will get you

to my URL definition page, but
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsu/g/TERMURL.htm and
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/TERMSU/g/termurl.htm will not.

9. If the website is a common one that you're familiar with then double check the
spelling.

For example, www.googgle.com is very close to www.google.com, but it

won't get you to the popular search engine.

10. If you copied the URL from outside the browser and pasted it in the address
bar, check to see that the entire URL was copied properly.

For example, often times a long URL in an email message will span two or
more lines but only the first line will be copied correctly, resulting in a too-
short URL in the clipboard.

11. Another copy/paste mistake is extra punctuation. Your browser is pretty

forgiving with spaces but watch out for extra periods, semicolons, and other
punctuation that might have been present around the URL when you copied it.

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 In most cases, a URL should end with either a file extension (like html, htm,
etc.) or a single forward slash.

22. No Picture on the Monitor

• Confirm the computer is turned on.
• Check the brightness control, located on your monitor or your keyboard, and
make sure it is not set too low.
• Check the connections for the monitor and surge protector, and make sure the
surge protector is turned on.

Monitor Goes Blank Periodically

You may have the screensaver enabled. If the screensaver is enabled, just move your
mouse back and forth and your original screen will appear. You can change the
screensaver settings by going to your Control Panel (or your System Preferences if
you're using a Mac).

23. No Sound
• Adjusting the sound volume
• Check the volume control on your computer. In Windows, the sound icon will
usually be on the taskbar, and you can also access the sound options in the
Control Panel. On Macs, the sound options are found at the top of the screen or
in System Preferences.
• Most media programs (such as iTunes or Windows Media Player) have a
volume control, which will need to be turned up.
• Make sure the speakers are turned on, if using external speakers. Make sure
external speakers are connected to the correct audio port or a USB port. If your
computer has color-coded ports, the audio output will usually be green.
• Connect headphones to the correct audio port, and determine if sound is
audible from the headphones.
• Check device manager and see if sound driver is installed, if not install sound
driver.
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 CHAPTER FOUR

BASIC NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING.

Because of the variety of network configurations, operating systems, setup, etc. not all
of the below information may apply to your network or operating system.

Note: We cannot assist you with network problems due to an unknown passwords or
unknown ISP settings. Since we have no method of verifying or determining this
information.

Adapter resources

Verify that the network adapter is properly installed and detected by the computer with
no conflicts. If you're using Microsoft Windows check in Device Manager and verify
there are no errors and "Network adapters" is present with each network adapter
installed in the computer listed, similar to the example on the right.

If conflicts exist or the network adapter is being detected as an Other device. The
network card has not been properly installed in the computer. Try letting Windows re-
detect and install the Network card by removing the network adapter and any other
conflict devices from Device Manager and then rebooting the computer. If Windows
re-detects the card but does not find the drivers, download the network adapter drivers
from the computer manufacturer or the network card manufacturer.

Verify connections

Wired Network

If this is a wired network, verify that the network cable is properly connected and
make sure the LEDs next to the network jack are properly illuminated. For example, a
network card with a solid green LED or light usually indicates that the card is either
19
connected or receiving a signal. If the green light is flashing, this is an indication of
data being sent or received. In the picture is an example of LAN port with two LED
indicators next to the RJ-45 port. With this port, one LED will light up if connected
properly and the other will flash when transmitting data.

If there are no lights or the lights are orange or red the card may be bad, not connected
properly, or that the card is not receiving a signal from the network. If you are on a
small or local network and have the capability of checking a hub, switch, or router
verify that the cables are properly connected and that it has power. If after checking
the connections the LED indicators appear bad, the network adapter, port, or cable
may be defective.

Wireless Network

If you're using a laptop with a wireless network, make sure if the laptop has a Wi-Fi
button that it is turned on. Many laptops have a Wi-Fi button that allows the wireless
network to be turned on and off. In the picture is an example of a Wi-Fi button that is
currently enabled.

If the Wi-Fi button is turned on, make sure you're connecting to the correct Wi-Fi
hotspot by right-clicking on the Network icon in the Windows notification area and
clicking "Connect to a network". Usually, the network with the strongest connection
(the most bars) will be your wireless router.

Finally, when connecting to most wireless networks you need to enter the proper SSID
(password) in order to connect to the network. If the incorrect SSID has been entered,
you cannot access the network.

Adapter functionality

Verify that the network card is capable of pinging itself by using the ping command.
Windows users can ping the computer from a Windows command line. Unix and
Linux users can ping from the shell.

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To ping the network card on your system:

• Press window key + R key on your keyboard

• The Run input box will appear
• Type in: ping 127.0.0.1
• Press enter key or click Ok button

Doing the above commands should get replies from the network card. If you receive
an error or if the transmission fails the network card is not physically installed into the
computer correctly, has the incorrect drivers, or maybe the card is bad.

Connect to the router

If all of the above steps have been checked and your network has a router, make sure
the computer can connect to the router by performing the below commands.

Determine the routers address

Using the ipconfig command (or ipconfig command for Linux) determine the router's
address by looking at the Gateway address. Below are the steps for Microsoft
Windows users, Linux users can substitute ipconfig for ipconfig.

1. Open the Windows command line. (click start button and type CMD in search
filed to get your window command line or DOS)
2. From the command prompt type ipconfig and press enter. This command
should give you an output similar to the example below.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : computerhope.com.
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

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The Default Gateway is the address of your router. Most home routers have a gateway
address that starts with 192.168 like the address shown above. Assuming your gateway
address is 192.168.1.1 attempt to ping the router to see if it can send and receive
information by running the below command.

ping 192.168.1.1

If you get replies back from the router, the connection between your router and
computer are good, and you can skip to the next step.

If you do not receive any replies back from the router either the router is not setup
properly or your connection between the router and the computer are not correct. Reset
your router to make sure it is not a problem with your router by following the steps
below.

1. Turn off the power to the computer and leave it off.

2. Unplug the power to your router and cable modem or DSL modem.
3. Leave the power cables disconnected for 10-15 seconds and then plug in your
modem and then your router again.
4. Finally, turn on your computer again and repeat this step to see if you can ping
your router.

If you're using a wireless network and have followed all the above steps and still are
unable to ping the router try turning off the computer again and connect the computer
to the router using a cable instead of trying to connect using wireless. If a wire does
also not work connect the manufacturer of the router for additional support or
replacement.

Firewall

If your computer network utilizes a firewall, make sure all required ports required are
open, especially port 80, which is the HTTP port. If possible, disable the firewall
software program or disconnect the computer from the firewall to make sure it is not
causing the network problems.
22
Internet is not working

If you're able to ping the router, but are still unable to connect to the Internet, either
your router is improperly configured or the ISP is having issues.

Note: Some ISPs such as Comcast require special software be installed. Make sure any
software included with your Modem or other hardware has been installed on at least
one computer if you are setting up a new Internet connection.

If your Internet has been working but recently stopped working, give it a few minutes
to make sure it is not a temporary outage. If after waiting a few minutes, you still have
problems and you have not disconnected the power to your router and modem already
follow the steps below.

1. Turn off the power to the computer and leave it off.

2. Unplug the power to your router and cable modem or DSL modem.
3. Leave the power cables disconnected for 10-15 seconds and then plug in your
modem and then your router again.
4. Finally, turn on your computer again and repeat this step to see if you can ping
your router.

If after following the above steps the Internet is still not working, open the Windows
command line and run the below command.

ping google.com

Running the above command should get a reply from Google. If you get a reply, this is
an indication that the Internet is working, but you may be encountering a problem with
the Internet browser you are using to browse the Internet. Try an alternative browser
such as Firefox or Chrome.

If you're getting no reply from Google, your router or modem is not reaching the
Internet. If you have a router, make sure your router has DHCP enabled and that the
WAN or Gateway address is the proper ISP address.

23
Finally, after verifying all of the above settings if your Internet is still not working we
suggest contacting the ISP to make sure it is not a problem on their end and to assist
you further with any special configurations that may not be mentioned in this
document.

24
 CHAPTER FIVE

COMMON LAPTOP PROBLEM AND SOLUTIONS

TROUBLESHOOTING LAPTOP SCREEN

1. Laptop LCD Screen is Black or Blank

1. Check the A/C adapter's power indicator light, if none, try it on a working A/C
outlet or with a known-good A/C adapter.
2. Press the power button and check for any lights on the computer,
3. Adjust the brightness of the LCD screen, while the computer is on.
4. Test the Laptop LCD in the System Setup (BIOS).
o Turn the computer off.
o Power on the computer and press the F2 key until you see the System
Setup (BIOS).
o Look for lines, distortion, or any other video issues you have observed
within the System Setup (BIOS).
5. Run the Laptop LCD Built-In Self Test (LCD BIST).
6. Try to boot into Enable VGA Mode.
o Turn the computer off.
o Power on the computer. When you see the Dell logo appear on the
screen, press the F8 key until you see the Windows Advanced Boot
Menu
o Using the Up or Down arrow keys, highlight Enable VGA Mode. Press
the Enter key.
o Check if the video is seen in this mode of Microsoft Windows.
7. If video is seen in the BIOS or the LCD BIST passes, proceed to the next step,
else if the video is still not seen in the BIOS or the LCD BIST
8. Connect to an external monitor

2. Adjust Laptop LCD Brightness

25
To Adjust the LCD Brightness, hold the Fn Key and Repeatedly Press the Up Arrow
to increase the brightness or while holding the Fn Key and Repeatedly Press the Down
Arrow to decrease the brightness.

3. Lines, Fuzzy, Color or Blurry Issues

1. Verify that the BIOS and Video Drivers are installed. Test the LCD in the
System Setup (BIOS).
2. Run the Laptop LCD Built-In Self Test (LCD BIST).
3. Set or Change your Video Settings.
4. Connect to an external monitor
5. Check for visible damage to the LCD.

5. Laptop LCD Built-In Self Test

To run the Built-In Self-Test perform the following:

Method 1

1. Turn the computer off.

2. Press and hold the D key while pressing the power button. This will start the
Laptop LCD BIST.
3. The screen will display multiple flashing colors. Look for lines, distortion, or
any other video issues you have observed.
4. The laptop will restart when the test is finished.

Method 2

1. Turn the computer off.

2. Press and hold the Fn key and power on your laptop while holding down the Fn
key. This will start the Dell Pre-Boot System Assessment.
3. Your computer will now run a series of tests.
4. When your computer displays a series of horizontal and vertical color bars, it
will prompt you with a pop-up message "Do you see the color bars? Yes / No
26
 5. Press the N key to enter the Laptop LCD BIST. Note: If you do not respond for
30 seconds, the diagnostics will automatically assume your response as a 'No'
and proceed to the Laptop LCD Built-In Self Test.
6. The screen will display multiple flashing colors. Look for lines, distortion, or
any other video issues you have observed.
7. The laptop will restart when the test is finished.

Fixing Black or No Display Laptops Problem

When you push the power button of your laptop and you see the power light shows up,
the fan is running, the hard drive is running but there is nothing comes up on the
screen and the display shows a blank screen.

This is what we called a “no display” problem.

In this problem probably your laptop should give the proper power supply to all the
hardware parts but the motherboard won’t able to boot because of some hardware
failure or maybe it’s also possible your motherboard boot’s up properly but doesn’t
able to shows any display just because of laptop’s screen got faulty.

Either one can be the possible reason with you or to troubleshoot this problem, you’ll
have to do the step by step inspection of your laptop’s Hardware to fix this problem.
If your laptop doesn’t show any sign of power supply that means you have a different
problem with your laptop.

To fix the black blank laptop’s screen problem there are 3 possible things what you
can try and do.

1 – Display Checkup

27
First, I want you to start the checkup on the display because sometimes the problem is
generation just because of your faulty display screen. If your display got dead or
broken your motherboard will never be able to show you something on the screen.

you will need an external display to check if your laptop is working properly or not. If
your laptops still don’t show anything on the external screen, then that means you have
no issue with your screen you can move on to your next solution.

2 – BIOS Checkup

Sometimes our system’s bios stopped working due to some reasons and the bios need
to get reset in order to run properly. To reset your laptop’s bios, follow these steps
given below-

Step 1 – Fully turn off your laptop and unplug the power adaptor.

Step 2 – Remove the laptop’s battery.

Step 3 – Press the laptop’s power button for 20 seconds to drain out all the CMOS
battery

Step 4 – Turn On your laptop without the battery by just attaching the power cable
only.

This will completely reset your bios and now you are able to run your laptop as just
like before. If your laptop still shows you the blank screen then moves on to our next
solution below to fix this problem.

3 – RAM Checkup

Ram is commonly 90% of the reason for this “no display” problem. If your ram got
dead or dirty your motherboard will never be able to show you something on the
screen until you’ve cleaned it or replace it with a new one.
28
Step 1 – Unplug all the power source like battery or power adaptor.

Step 2 – Open your laptop’s back case where the ram is located and remove the ram
from the ram slot.

Step 3 – Clean the ram and dust off the ram slot with a brush and put it back

If you have two rams installed in your computer, then remove one of them and try to
turn on your computer. If your computer still won’t Turn ON, then remove that ram
from that slot and install it into another slot. If your computer still won’t able to Turn
ON.

Step 4 – If step 3 doesn’t work, replace the ram with a compatible new one

Step 5 – Turn on your laptop to test it.

4 – At Last Motherboard/GPU Problem

If the all above solution didn’t work for you that mean you have some problem in the
motherboard, GPU chip can be the reason for no display.

HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT AND FIX VIDEO PROBLEMS

Laptop LCD screen has a faint image.

In most old version laptops, it’s possible that the LCD lid close switch stuck in the
“closed” position and the backlight stays off even when you open the LCD screen or
turn on the laptop. The switch turns off the backlight when you close the LCD display
to save the laptop battery power. Check the LCD lid close switch. Usually, it is a small
plastic pin located close to the LCD hinges. Try to tap on the switch a few times to
turn on the backlight. If after tapping on the LCD lid close switch the backlight stays
on, you fixed the problem.

29
It is also possible that after tapping on the LCD lid close switch the backlight works
fine, you see a normal video on the screen for some time and then the backlight turns
itself off again. In this case I would blame the FL inverter board. Try to reseat cables
on both end of the FL inverter to make a better contact between the cables and the FL
inverter board. If it doesn’t help, I would try to replace the FL inverter board.

Laptop LCD screen is solid white color.

Most likely it is just a bad connection between the LCD display and the system board.
I would try reseating the video cable connector on the back of the LCD screen first and
check if it fixes the problem. After that I would try reseating the video cable connector
on the system board. I would also try reseating cables if there is no video on the LCD
screen at all.

The video on the LCD screen is garbled.

Try to connect the LCD screen to an external monitor. If the external video is fine, you
have a problem with the LCD screen or the LCD video cable. You can try to fix the
problem by reseating the video cable on the back of the LCD and on the system board.

If you see the same garbled video output on the external monitor most likely it is not
the LCD screen problem. In this case the system board (with onboard video) is bad or
the video card is bad.

30
 HOW TO FIX YOUR BROKEN LAPTOP SCREEN

1. Ensure the laptop is unplugged from the AC adapter. Remove the laptop
battery as well.
2. Find the round cover stickers that are hiding the screws on the screen bezel, the
case surrounding the screen. These stickers are usually on the bottom of the bezel, near
the screen hinges, when you have the screen opened. You should find one on each side
of the screen.

You can see the screw covers in the very bottom right and left corners on the bezel

3. Use a sharp, pointy object—like an opened safety pin or needle—to help

remove the cover stickers without damaging them. Stick it between the edge of the
cover and bezel, and then pry the sticker away. Once removed, place the covers in a
safe spot, with the sticky side up to help ensure there’s enough stickiness when you
place them back on.
4. Use your screwdriver to remove the now-exposed screws. Remember: righty-
tightly, lefty-loosely. Some screws are easy to remove; others, not so much. But
moving the screen into just the right position usually exposes the screws enough for
removal.

31
 After you remove the sticker covers, you’ll find screws.

5. Carefully start prying the screen bezel away from the back side of the screen
case. Work a fingernail or other thin, prying object into the crack around the outside of
the screen. The bezel is usually secured to the back case with plastic snaps, so give it
some force while prying—but not too brutish. You’ll hear the unsnapping of the
fasteners when prying.

In process of prying and unsnapping the bezel of the screen from the back case.

32
6. Once you’ve unsnapped the screen bezel, it may or may not be easy to remove.
If not, it’s likely stuck around the screen hinges. Moving the screen position up or
down, with some gentle force if necessary, should free it fully.

After removing the bezel you’ll find the screen is secured to metal frame pieces on
each side.

7. Once the bezel is fully removed, you’ll find the LCD secured to a metal trim
frame on the left and right sides. Remove the two screws (one on each side, on the top)
holding the trim frame pieces to the back screen case. Now, you should be able to lift
the LCD (with the trim frame pieces attached) slightly away from the back screen
case.
8. On each of the trim frames’ sides, remove any screws that are securing it to the
LCD. Most laptops have three screws on each side.

33
 Here is where most laptops will have screws securing the LCD screen to the metal trim
frame pieces.
9. Now you should be able to set the LCD face-down onto the keyboard. Be
careful not to put excessive force on the video cable attached to the back of the LCD.
When the LCD is been freed from the trim frame pieces and carefully sat down on the
keyboard.

10. Disconnect the video cable from the back of the LCD. Though the laptop I
photographed here has the connector on the very bottom, most laptops have the
connector near the center. If so, keep in mind that the portion of the cable running
down the screen is usually stuck on the back of the screen with some mild adhesive.
Just gently pull the cables away from the screen. You usually must remove tape that’s
securing the video connector to the back of the screen as well. When you get to the
point of actually pulling the video cable out of the screen connector, it should unplug
with little force.

11. Once you've fully removed the broken LCD, simply place the new one face-
down like you did the old one. Reattach the video cable to the connector and place the
cables and any tape just like they were for the old one.
12. Set the new screen up in the side trim frame pieces, then re-secure it like the
old one was: usually three screws in each side of the trim frame pieces, and then a
screw on top of each to secure it to the back screen case.
13. When you get to the point of putting the bezel back on, just line it up and
push/squeeze the bezel back into the snaps of the rear screen case. Before replacing the
bezel screws, ensure the bezel is fully snapped in place and no crack exists around the
edges of the screen case. Lastly, use that safely pin or needle to reattach the sticky
screw covers.

If all went well, you now should have a shiny new working laptop screen. Put the
battery back in and test it out

34
 CHAPTER SIX

KEYBOARD, MOUSE AND WEBCAM FIX

Fix Laptop Keyboard

Your laptop key stops working, or a whole section of your keyboard stops
responding to keystrokes.

Check for Crumbs

• Hold your laptop upside down or at the very least at a 45 - to 75-

degree angle from horizontal and give the laptop a good shake.
Sometimes, crumbs from working lunches or your last snack break
can get stuck under the keys.
• If you have a keyboard vacuum or a can of compressed air, give the
nooks and crannies of your keyboard a quick cleaning.
• If one or two keys are stuck because of soda spillage, you can try
cleaning those individual key switches with a rag soaked in a couple
of drops of cleaner like rubbing alcohol or even warm soapy water.
Make sure you're applying the liquid to th e cloth first and not
directly to the keyboard. Pop the offending key cap off the keyboar d
and try to clean as much dried liquid from the key switch as possible.
A cotton swab can come in handy here, just be careful and don't
disassemble the key switch unless you know what you're doing.
• If an extensive section of the keyboard is stuck because of liquid
damage, like spilled cup of soda or coffee, your best recourse may be
to have the keyboard assembly replaced.

Battery Check

• Sometimes you have to take that "have you tried turning it off and on
again" advice to the extreme. Shut down the laptop, remove the

35
 battery, wait a minute or so, replace the battery, and boot up the
laptop.

Driver Problems

This problem crops up if you install third -party software often and/or you
turn your machine off all the time without using the Shut Down command.

Check the Device Manager on your laptop. If the keyboard line item has a
yellow exclamation point next to it or if the keyboard icon doesn't show up
at all, then install the latest drivers for the keyboard.

Virus

• It's possible that your keyboard is the victim of a virus. Run a virus
scan

Go USB

• If all else fails, and you need to get your work done, then find a USB
desktop keyboard and plug it in.

Bad Connections

• Sometimes the keyboard loses connection with the laptop's

motherboard so, removing the outer case an d reconnecting the ribbon
cable on the bottom of the keyboard should be your solution. But be
very careful when doing this.
• Lose the keyboard screw underneath your lap top before pulling out
your keyboard

MOUSE PAD
Laptop mouse touchpad is not working

36
This tip covers the most common ways to resolve a non-functioning laptop touchpad.

Operating system not responding

The first thing to check is whether the computer and the operating system is not
responding as well. It could be that the computer is frozen, meaning it is not
responding to any commands you give it. In this case, the touchpad would also not be
working.
To check this, try pressing the Num Lock or Scroll Lock keys on the keyboard to see if
any lights on the keyboard turn on, if not restart the computer to see if the problem is
resolved

Touchpad button

Some laptops have either a button above or around the touchpad or a Fn key combo to
enable and disable the touchpad. If your laptop has this feature, try pressing the button
or keys to turn on the touchpad before following any of the steps below.

External device

Some USB and PS/2 input devices automatically disable the touchpad when
connected. As a troubleshooting step, turn off the computer, disconnect all external
devices, then start the computer again to ensure one of them has not turned off the
touchpad. If this fixes your problem, you can reconnect the mouse to continue
troubleshooting or changing mouse settings on your system

37
Check mouse settings

To access the mouse settings, follow the steps below.

Windows users
1. Navigate to the Start Menu or press the Windows Key and type change
mouse settings in the Search field, then press Enter.
2. In the Mouse Properties window that opens, locate your touchpad
settings. They are usually under the far right tab next to Hardware (the
name of the tab varies from manufacturer to manufacturer).
3. Ensure there is a check in the box next to Enable touchpad.
4. Adjust any other settings to your liking, then click Apply, then OK.
5. Test your touchpad.
Apple macOS users
1. For macOS X, access the System Preferences in the Apple menu at the top
of the desktop screen. For MacBook Pro, click on the System Preferences
icon at the bottom of the desktop screen.
2. In the System Preferences window, click on the Trackpad icon to open the
Trackpad settings.
3. Adjust any trackpad settings you prefer to change.
4. Test the trackpad to see if it works.

Checking Device Manager and updating drivers

If the touchpad still isn't working, the Windows Device Manager can tell you detailed
information about hardware issues and help you update drivers. For example, if a
device has a yellow exclamation mark or red X next to it, this is an indicator of
hardware or software issues. To locate the touchpad in Device Manager, follow the
steps below.
1. Navigate to the Start Screen or press the Windows Key and type device
manager, then press Enter.
2. Under Your PC, double-click Mice and other pointing devices.

38
 3. Locate your touchpad and right-click the icon and select Update Driver
Software...
4. Click Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the
steps (if the drivers are out of date).
NOTE: Right-clicking the touchpad icon gives you the option to either enable or
disable it, depending on the device's status. If disabled, re-enable and test the
touchpad. If it is already enabled, change it to disabled, then re-enable it. Sometimes
toggling this setting "reboots" and fixes the touchpad.

Check CMOS (BIOS) setup

Make sure the touchpad has not been disabled in the CMOS (BIOS) setup. Once you
have entered BIOS or CMOS setup, check the hardware device settings and if the
touchpad is disabled, re-enable it and restart the laptop to test the touchpad.

Corrupt operating system files

Another possible cause for a malfunctioning touchpad is corrupt operating system

files. While typically you would notice other issues as well due to corrupt system files,
this could result in the touchpad not working.
Fixing this requires you to either activate a restore point at a date prior to when the
touchpad stopped working, or you may need to perform an operating system repair
installation or reformatting and reinstallation of new OS

Bad Hardware

Finally, if the touchpad still is not working correctly or at all, you may need to replace
it with a compatible one.

WEB CAM

Fix an Integrated Web Cam on a Laptop

Many new laptops have a small, integrated webcam installed on the top of the screen.
As long as the software is installed, you can use the webcam to communicate with

39
other webcam users. Webcams are useful for business meetings or just to chat with
family and friends. If you consistently get an error message or cannot get your
integrated webcam to connect, you will have to fix the software, which is the most
common issue with defunct laptop webcams. There are two commonly used remedies
that you can attempt.

Laptops with a webcam may need frequent software updates.

Update the Driver

Step 1: Update the following programs or load them onto your laptop: Display graphic
or video driver. Java, QuickTime, DirectX and Flash. If any of these programs are out
of date on your laptop, your webcam may fail to start.

Step 2: Go to "Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Device Manager."
The device manager lets you check to see if there are any problems with certain
drivers.

Step 3: Look at the list of devices and find your webcam. It may be listed under
"Other Devices." Press the box next to it to expand the information. Check to see if
there is a yellow exclamation point next to it. This indicates a problem with the driver.

Step 4: Right-click on your webcam's name and choose "Update Driver Software." Let
the computer search the Internet for a new driver.
40
Reinstall the Software

Step 1 : Go to "Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs."

Step 2: Look through the list of programs for your webcam.

Step 3: Hit "Uninstall" to remove the software.

Step 4 : Then reinstall the right driver or use driver pack software and try using your
cam again

Video does not appear in your webcam software (such as YouCam, Skype,
Messenger.)
If Your YouCam, Skype, or Live Messenger is open, but video does not appear in the
main viewing window, resolve it by Making sure the webcam is the selected
video/capture device.
Your webcam must be selected as the video capture device in your webcam software.
If the computer has multiple video input sources, your webcam software might be
connected to something other than your webcam.
To select the webcam as your video source, open your webcam software and look for
video camera, video source, or video caption in the software's properties or
preferences.
Note: you can always use driver pack to update the drivers, most times is easier

41
 CHAPTER SEVEN
LAPTOP POWER PROBLEMS
Fixing Laptop Power Problems

Understanding how laptop power works can be very useful in determining what the
problem is. I will first explain how it works, then I will explain how we can
troubleshoot.

AC power adapter
How the AC adapter works

The power adapter box does several things. It lowers the voltage from the wall's 120
volts AC to typically 14, 15, 19 or even 20 volts DC as the case maybe (it will be
labeled with the exact voltage). It includes some power noise filtering. It often
includes an automatic circuit breaker or overload detection. If this gets tripped, you
can generally reset it if you unplug it from everything for a few minutes.

You can measure the voltages on your AC adapter with a multimeter. When it is
unplugged from the computer but still plugged in to the wall, it is normal to find that
the voltage may be 1 to 3 volts higher than the printed output rating.

Troubleshooting: Check output voltages with a volt meter/multimeter

For those of you with circular connectors, your task is easy. Measure the voltage
between the inside and the outside. A diagram on the adapter's label will tell you
which should be positive and negative

For those of you with the 3-pin Dell power connectors, If you try measuring each of
the three possible pairs of pins, you should get 20 volts between one of the pairs.

How laptop power distribution works

42
Okay, the power comes into the plug on the back of the computer. This connects it to
metal traces inside the mainboard of the computer. These will be connected to voltage
regulator switch often output 5 volts, 12 volts, 3.3 volts, and the CPU voltage; they
sometimes look like the image at right.

These will be connected to cylindrical capacitors distributed throughout

the mainboard. Capacitors act like tiny, fast batteries, supplying extra
power where needed to maintain a steady voltage during high demand.

Finally, power goes to all the devices that need it.

Power for the LCD display is usually done separately. Generally, LCD backlights
require high voltage to operate. A component that might be called a power inverter
will step the voltage up to what is needed for the backlight. Sometimes this inverter is
a discrete and replicable component, and sometimes just a chip on your mainboard. It
is also involved in the brightness control.

The battery is an important part. It supply’s power to the input-side of the voltage
regulators, just like the power from the AC adapter. Additionally, there is a charging
circuit, which uses the power from the AC adapter prior to the voltage regulators, to
charge the battery. (By the way, this is why the AC adapter voltage is always rated
higher than the battery's rated voltage-- you need higher voltage for charging.)

Short circuits

Anywhere in your laptop, physical or electrical damage can cause a short circuit. A
short circuit will consume all available power, causing your laptop to not turn on. If
your power adapter LED comes on when you plug it into the wall, but then goes off
when you plug in the laptop, you probably have a short circuit.

Troubleshooting short circuits

An ohm-meter / multimeter will read less than ~3 ohms when you measure the
resistance between sides of power going into a short circuit. When measuring between

43
then power pins going into the back of your computer, consider the 2 pins where you
expect voltage to be applied by the AC adapter. If the resistance indicates a short
circuit, this is bad.

A common trick to help isolate possible problems is to try to removing anything that
might be a short circuit. Take out the battery, the hard drive, the DVD/CD drive, the
floppy drive, PCMCIA cards, USB devices, miniPCI cards. See if the computer will
then turn on.

You might have luck with a thermal imager (see story below) to find a hot spot caused
by the short circuit.

Spilled liquid

Laptops exposed to small amounts of spilled liquid are repairable in some cases.
Liquid can cause the following types of damage:

• Short circuit due to wet liquid (problem goes away after liquid evaporates)
• Short circuit due to dried liquid residue
• Corrosion (especially bad with soda such as Coke or Pepsi)
• Electronic components damaged by above short circuits

Immediately when a spill occurs, you typically want to turn off the laptop, turn the
laptop upside down (so the liquid goes out the same way it came in), remove the
power and battery, and allow to dry at least overnight, you can also use heater or hand
dryer to dry it thoroughly

To remove dried liquid residue: Try removing the keyboard and cleaning any
components that have dried liquid, or wash up the motherboard by using distilled
water and dry it thoroughly

44
Computer turns off randomly

Your computer can turn off due to: power overload in the AC adapter, overheated
processor / clogged fan, overheated battery, pushing the power button, Windows
telling it to, the BIOS telling it to, loose wires (especially the power cord), or
intermittent short circuits.

The most common problem is cooling.

• Try going somewhere air conditioned. Notice if the fan is broken or clogged
with dust (common older HP problem).
• Use Blower to blow the clump away

• Remove the lint and further disassembly the laptop to check for bad solder
joint on the plus + pin of the power connector, resistor, capacitor, or diode and
Resoldering them

A loose power connector repaired

a broken power connection on a HP laptop, which was successfully repaired

afterwards:

45
 BATTERY CHARGING PROBLEMS

How to troubleshoot the most common battery charging problems.

Laptop shuts off when AC adapter unplugged.

When you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon while the laptop is connected to
AC adapter, it shows the remaining charge and says “charging”.

The power meter utility (if available) also shows that battery is connected and
charging.

But… as soon as you unplug the AC adapter, the laptop shuts off completely.

Possible problems/solutions:

1. The battery not seated correctly. Try reconnecting it.

2. The battery contacts got dirty or oxidized and it’s not making good connection with
the motherboard. Apply some electronic contact cleaner on the contacts.

3. If reconnecting the battery doesn’t help, most likely it’s bad and has to be replaced.
4. If you replaced the battery but the problem still exists, this is motherboard related

46
failure. Apparently, the charging circuit on the motherboard failed. In this case the
whole motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on component level).

The battery not detected by the laptop.

There is a red cross on the battery icon.

If you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon, it says “no battery detected”.

Possible problems/solutions:

1. Most likely the battery is bad. replacing it with a new one is best option.
2. If replacing the battery doesn’t help, this is motherboard related failure. The
motherboard has to be replaced or repaired

The battery discharges very quickly after it reaches some critical point.

The battery detected by the laptop and charges properly to over 80%.
When you unplug the AC adapter, it takes normal time to discharge until some critical
point (let’s say 60%) but after that the battery discharges very quickly to 0%.

Possible problems/solution:

The battery is bad. It has to be replaced with a new one.

47
The battery charges only if the power plug positioned correctly.
You have to wiggle the power plug in order to charge the battery. After you find the
right position, it charges properly.

Possible problems/solutions:

1. The AC adapter power cable is damaged.

2. If the AC adapter cable works fine, most likely the power jack on your motherboard
is bad (that is the connector where you plug power adapter) In this case the power
jack has to be replaced.

MORE TROUBLESHOOTING ON CHARGING RELATED ISSUES

Computer doesn’t turn on at all.

When you plug the AC adapter into the laptop, there are no lights turning on at all.
When you push on the power button, nothing happens. The laptop appears to be
completely dead, makes no sounds, no indications of life.

Possible problem/solutions:

– The AC adapter failed and the battery has no charge left. In this case test the AC
adapter with a voltmeter. If it’s dead, replace it with a new one.

48
– DC jack failed and the motherboard doesn’t receive any power from the adapter. In
this case the DC jack has to be replaced.

– Motherboard failed. The motherboard has to be replaced.

Fixing a Laptop That Is Not Charging software related

SETTINGS AND DRIVERS (WINDOWS)

Check your power settings. Go to Start → Control Panel → Power Options. There
may be a "low battery level" setting at too high a level, which can cause your
computer to shut down instead of charge.[5] The simplest way to deal with these
settings is to restore them to the default. If this does not fix the problem, continue
troubleshooting

Open the Device Manager. First, open "Device Manager". This can be found most
easily with a Windows computer by using the search function, or by navigating
to Start → Control Panel → System and Security → Device Manager.[6]

Look at the Batteries settings. When the list has loaded, expand the "Batteries Tab".
Update driver software. Right click "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method
Battery," then select "Update Driver Software."[7] Follow the instructions that appear.
Restart the computer. Shut down the computer and start it up again, so the driver will
take effect. If the laptop still won't charge, repeat the "Update driver" step on every
entry in the Battery section, then restart your computer a second time.
Uninstall and reinstall the driver. If you still cannot charge your laptop, try right-
clicking "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery" and selecting
"Uninstall." When the process is finished, click the button on the toolbar that says
'Scan for hardware changes" Alternately, you can open the "Action" tab and press
Scan for hardware changes. Restart your computer once the driver is reinstalled.

49
 SETTINGS AND DRIVER (MAC)
Check your energy settings (Apple laptops). Open Systems Preferences from the
Dock or your Applications folder. Click on Energy Saver and check both the "Battery"
and "Power Adapter" setting tabs. In rare cases, a sleep setting set too low can look
like a battery charging issue.[8] In most cases, you'll need to try the additional steps
below.

Reset the System Management Controller. Use one of these methods to reset the
SMC, which controls battery management, battery status light:[9]
• Laptops with a non-removable battery: Shut down the computer.
Plug it into a power source. On the built-in keyboard, press the left-side shift control
option keys and the laptop power button at the same time. Release the keys at the
same time, then turn on your computer.
• Laptops with a removable battery: Shut down the computer and
disconnect the power cord. Remove the battery. Press and hold the power button for
five seconds. Reattach the battery and power cord attached to an outlet, then start up
the computer

51
50
 CHAPTER EIGHT

LAPTOP MOTHERBOARD REPAIR

Most times a motherboard damaged is beyond repair, replacing it with a new one is
always recommended. But before making that conclusion, you must assess the damage
and decide if the motherboard can be repaired.

There are numerous reasons why a laptop’s motherboard would fail. Below are some
common signs and causes of failure, and suggestions on how to perform some minor
laptop motherboard repair.

Signs of Motherboard Failure:

Failure to boot
Randomly freezing
hardware not working
Audio and/or laptop screen are not working
Connected devices fail to work

Causes of Motherboard Failure:

Electric and voltage fluctuations
Dust particles, smoke, debris,
Liquid damage
Overheating caused my fan failure

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Crash or physical damage
Aging
How to Perform a Motherboard Repair?

If the Mother board contain excessive dust particles, smoke or debris.

You will need to service the motherboard; this can be done in various ways.
1. Use brush or blower to remove the particles or debris.
2. Wash the board with water and brush
3. Leave it to dry thoroughly
4. You can also use a hater or hand dryer on the board.

Graphic Hardware
Most graphic issues cannot be repaired or replaced. They have to be hated or resolder
using a good soldering iron.

Internal Hardware
There may be additional hardware installed in your laptop. To operate suitably, a
motherboard only requires the following: RAM, Processor, Fan, and SPMS. You can
try to remove the additional hardware to test if the issue is resolved once removed,
then turn on your laptop and see if it boots normally. If it does, that mean there is a
problem with one of your interior hardware systems. You can test each part to see
which one needs to be repaired or replaced.

CMOS Battery
Your motherboard issue may be that your CMOS battery is drained. To assess the
battery, remove the CMOS battery then start your laptop up again to see if the problem
is solved.

Electric and voltage fluctuations

52
In this case you will need a multimeter to read the motherboard and try
troubleshooting it on component level,
Area if interest should be the power circuit, putting the following component into
consideration: capacitor, fuse, resistor, diodes and power ICs.
Check the following Chapter (Chapter Nine) on how to use to multimeter to read the
above mention components.

Overheating caused my fan failure

1. Check if the fan need cleaning, if it does, take it out and use your blower or
brush.
2. Check if the fan is working well, if not replace it
3. You may also need to check if your heat sink is properly attached to the CPU

Check RAM and RAM Slot

A common motherboard issue is that your RAM (random access memory) is dead,
causing your motherboard not to work.
1. If you happen to have two RAMs, test each by removing one and turning your
computer on. If the RAM is indeed the problem, then you need to replace the
RAM.
2. Your RAM slot may need cleaning, see to it that is done.
3. And always make sure you are using a compatible RAM

Liquid damage
1. Remove the battery and dissemble the laptop and Leave it to try out.

2. If the Liquid spill is old i.e., not recent, and the Liquid is left on the board with
power supplied to it will corrode the solder contacts on the board. This is
where you will be able to visually see a whitish powdery that looks like acid
substance. It will continue to corrode to the point that it will cause that

53
 component to fail and possibly continue to further damage surrounding
components and the board itself. So your best shot will be to wash and try the
board thoroughly.

Physical damage or Aging

If your motherboard failed as a result of physical damage or aging, no matter the
services you do the board will keep failing. So, it will be wise to replace it.

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 CHAPTER NINE
COMPUTER MAINTENANCE TIPS

Computer maintenance means keeping your computers and laptops in good condition
through regular cleanings, hard drive updates, and virus prevention. Doing so can
lengthen the lifespan of your devices and it can also help you browse the web more
safely.

Cleaning your computer regularly can help extend its life, saving you time and money
on repairs and replacements. Remember that computers are especially prone to dust
and overheating, so these steps can help reduce risk and keep your computer running
optimally.

1. Dust your keyboard using compressed air

Did you know that researchers have found that the average desktop and keyboard is
dirtier than a toilet seat? That’s why dusting your keyboard off at least once a week
can help maintain it (and reduce health risks) (and reduce health risks). Wipe your
keyboard down with a damp, lint-free cloth, but don't soak it in water.

Using a compressed air canister to access places that are difficult to reach, such as
between the keyboard buttons.

2. Wipe down your monitor

Fingerprints and other stains can appear regularly on your monitor. In order to keep
your screen, view fresh and clean, wipe down your monitor once a week using a dry
lint-free cloth. Wipe in long, gentle motions to avoid damaging your device by
pressing too hard.

55
Oftentimes, your computer will come with a microfiber cleaning cloth upon purchase.
Use this cloth or order a similar one for optimal cleaning.

3. Wipe the dust and debris from the cursor.

To function properly, your mouse, like your keyboard, needs to be dusted on a daily
basis. Unplug the mouse and turn it upside down to do this. After that, cut the bottom
panel and use a lint-free cloth to clean the ball.
For a more thorough rinse, soak the fabric in rubbing alcohol. Until reassembling the
mouse, cause the ball to dry.

4. Completely clean the system

A detailed cleaning of the whole hardware device can be performed every three to six
months. This can be done in a multitude of ways, including using a machine cleaner.
Before you unplug your computer to begin cleaning, save and close any active files.

The casing will then be opened by cutting the screws. Vacuum the interior of the
device but not the outside. To prevent injury, use the compressed air canister from
phase 1 on the inside instead.

Disassembling a laptop differs from disassembling a conventional device. Before you

start disassembling your computer, make sure to read the instructions that came with
it.

5. Restart or shut down the computer on a daily basis.

Although it isn't important to switch off your unit every night for new computers,
rebooting on a daily basis will help refresh your machine resources.

56
If you're using an older machine, make sure it's completely switched off at night to
prevent overheating. If your computer is newer, try rebooting it once a day and putting
it to sleep while not in operation instead.

How to Make the Hard Drive Last Longer

6. Clean up the hard drive

Did you know that when it comes to machine performance, the disk is the weakest
link? This is why defragging your hard drive once a month is so important.

Defragging is the process of reorganizing the data on your hard drive to speed up file
access. On your device, it decomposes a file into smaller chunks. While every
computer is different, you can usually find Defragment functions under the System
and Security tab in the Control Panel.

7. Backup data

Your hard drive can be backed up at least once a week. If you're working on a major
project, you should do this every day to make sure your files are secure. In the case of
a hard disk failure or a system collapse, backing up the data saves valuable
information.

8. Set up your startup

You can check in on the programs that start up automatically on a daily basis. These
programs will cause your machine to slow down. You should be able to monitor which
programs run from the Settings tab's Startup portion.

9. Execute a disk cleanup

A disk cleaner will help you free up space on your hard drive. This will erase large
attachments, temporary files, and extra language files, among other items.
57
10 Download vital device fixes.

Check for big device upgrades at least once a month to keep the programs running
safely and effectively. Since they repair critical security vulnerabilities and uninstall
unwanted bugs, these upgrades can be critical for long-term health. You may be able
to alter the configuration so that changes appear automatically.

11. Keep your antivirus program up to date.

You can run an antivirus software upgrade the very day it becomes available to
uninstall malware. These upgrades either incorporate new technical functionality or
enhance old ones. You can usually set the machine up for automated upgrades, but if
your new antivirus program sends you a warning, you can complete the upgrade as
soon as possible.

12. Change your passwords regularly

One of the easiest ways for hackers to gain access to your device is through a
cyberattack where they steal your login credentials. Upon gaining access to your
device, they can access sensitive information such as spam emails, banking
information, and more.

While experts used to recommend changing passwords every month, this frequency
was causing new risks and inconveniences for users. Updating your password four
times a year helps keep you more secure without much hassle.

13. Check for firmware updates

Firmware is a tiny piece of software in your computer that keeps the hardware
functioning properly. Often these changes are included with big machine updates, but
you can search for firmware updates manually on certain computers, as well.
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14. Full signature changes

To keep your antivirus software running properly, you’ll want to do signature updates
in addition to software updates. This means that the machine is free of new viruses.
Many applications can install these signature changes for you automatically, but if
they don't, you can download them at least once a week.

15. Care about parental regulation.

Set up parental controls whether you have children or other individuals who have
access to your computer. This would prohibit apps from being accessed without your
permission. To import those files and applications to your computer, you'll need a
password from an administrator.

16. Move similar files into folders

Keeping files on your desktop can slow down your machine. Instead, group related
files into folders so you can quickly access them. This will also help streamline the
cleaning process when it is time to remove unnecessary products.

17. Delete all services that are no longer in service.

Delete redundant programs from your computer to free up memory. If you organize
the programs by size, you can see which ones consume the most memory and then
determine which ones to uninstall.

18. Empty the Recyclables Bin

A file is transferred to the Recycle Bin when you or another person deletes it. This
offers you one more opportunity to restore a deleted file, but it can still clog up your
hard drive if you don't wipe it out on a regular basis. Check the Recycle Bin once a
month for any files that could have been removed by mistake and remove the
remainder.
59
19. Erase internet transient files
Delete temporary internet files and clear your cache to ease up your device. For
removing these cookies, each browser has its own process. Here are the instructions
for your browser.
20. Upload records to the cloud

Cloud storage allows you to store gigabytes of data without depleting the memory on
your hard drive. Perhaps better, you can share your files across various platforms with
it. Move files to cloud storage as you download them during the day to free up space
on your hard disk.

21. Don't let your system get too heavy.

Place your machine in a well-ventilated area of your office or house, with two inches
of empty space on each side. Allowing the system to breathe lets it from overheating,
which increases its lifetime.
Keep your desk area clean and free of clutter. Piles of paper and other things on your
machine will cause it to overheat.

22. Keep the cables in place.

Cable clutter absorbs dust and is easily destroyed. Cable stations and other cord
organizers will assist you with keeping your room coordinated. It will also save you
time and hassle when it is time to unplug your machine the next time.

23. Make sure your system isn't overcharged.

If you’re operating from a laptop, it can be enticing to charge the battery all night.
Although doing so won’t harm the unit, one of the safest ways to preserve the battery
over a prolonged period of time is to unplug it until it exceeds 100 percent. If you
won't be using the device for a month or longer, you can uninstall the battery
completely to further prolong its shelf life.
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24. Keep food and alcohol out of the room

One can of soda is what it takes to kill a computer. To stop spillage, never eat or drink
near your computer, no matter how enticing it is to sip a cup of coffee when reading
your morning emails.

25. While surfing, stay away from spam.

If an unusual email or unwanted popup occurs in your inbox or while searching, fight
the temptation to open it. Malware scams will severely affect your computer, putting
your files and personal information at risk.
Your machine, like a car, needs routine maintenance to operate properly. Daily
machine maintenance will help to prolong the device's lifetime and make you secure
when surfing the site. You will have a faster and better operating system to operate
with by taking a few basic steps.

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 CHAPTER TEN
PRINTERS TROUBLESHOOTING

Printing is too slow.

• Reduce print quality for everyday output. While printer settings vary by model,
here's how to switch to draft-printing mode in most Windows apps. Select Print
and Properties, and then look for a setting that reduces print quality. With the
HP Photosmart 8450, for instance, change the default print quality setting from
Normal to Fast Draft.
• Other speedup suggestions: Print pages from websites without graphics,

Windows is sending print jobs to the wrong printer.

• For some mysterious reason, Windows may select a new default printer--the
one it automatically sends print jobs to. To fix this in Windows 7, click Start
(the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the screen) and select Devices
and Printers. Under Printers and Faxes, right-click the printer you want to
make the default, and select Set as default printer. In window 8 and 10, just
type devices and printer in your search box for easy assessment.

.My prints are too light, too spotty, or have horizontal lines.
• You may have a clogged print head, a problem that can occur if you use an
inkjet printer infrequently. Your printer's utility program can clean out the
dried ink, and print a test page for inspection. The step-by-step instructions on
how to do this vary by printer. From the Windows 7 Start menu, click Devices
and Printers or Control Panel, and look for your printer's utility app.
My wireless printer is too slow.
• Wireless printing may be more convenient in many homes and offices, but it
has its limitations. Since Wi-Fi speeds slow down with distance, you'll want to
place your wireless printer as close as possible to the router. Also, make sure

62
 your Wi-Fi printer or any wireless print server it connects to supports the
802.11n spec, which can rival the performance of 100-mbps Ethernet.

I use remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, and my prints look awful.

• I recommend sticking with the manufacturer's ink. Third-party products may

save you money up front, but the consequences can get ugly.

How to fit more text on one page. How do I do it?

• Shrinking text to fit two pages on one sheet saves money (you'll buy less
paper) and speeds up printing (fewer pages to print). This two-for-one
approach is best for spreadsheets, receipts, and other documents that are still
legible once shrunken.

In any Windows program, select Print and Properties, and then look for a printer
setting that lets you increase the number of pages per sheet.

Good Printer not responding when a print command is issued

• Check printer quall for possible jam, and if that is the case: delete or cancel all
document on quall
• Also check Printer for possible paper jam.
• Check printer’s USB cable

GENERAL PRINTER TROUBLESHOOTING

Printer does not have power indicator

First, make sure that the printer is on. When a printer is on it should have some light or
LED (usually green) indicating it's receiving power and is on.

63
If you do not have any indicator light make sure the printer is connected to a working
power outlet by verifying each end of the power cable. Next, press the printer power
button.

If after following the above steps your printer still cannot get a power status indicator
it's likely you're encountering a serious printer issue and we suggest contacting the
printer manufacturer for additional steps and instructions on repair or replacement.

Cables not connected properly

Your printer should have two cables connected to it. The power cable and the data
cable, the power cable should have already been verified as being connected if your
printer has a power indicator light as mentioned above. Make sure the data cable
(parallel cable or USB cable) is also connected from the printer to the computer.

Printer error (orange or blinking light)

After your printer has completed its initial startup you should have a solid green light.
If the light indicator is blinking or orange often this is an indication of a printer error.
For example, this could indicate a paper jam, issue with the ink or toner cartridge, or
other serious error.

Because there is no standard to what a blinking light or orange light means if you're
getting either of these, we suggest referring to the printer documentation for
troubleshooting steps or methods of determining what the status indicator is reporting.

No paper or paper jam

Without paper your printer will not be able to print. Make sure you have paper in the
paper loaded into the printer paper cartridge or tray. Next, verify that no printer paper
is jammed or partially fed into the printer. If you have one or more pieces of paper
stuck in the printer these need to be manually removed before the printer will print
again.

Inkjet printer ink related issues

64
Often when you're encountering an ink related issue, your printer status indicator light
(mentioned above) should be flashing. If this is not occurring you may want to skip to
the next section. However, if you've recently inserted a new ink cartridge you may
want to try the below suggestions.

• Replacing ink cartridges and printer not working.

Printer self-tests

Most printers have a way of printing a test page. This page allows you to determine if
the printer is physically working or not. This test is usually accomplished by holding
down a series of keys. If you are not sure if your printer has this feature or how to
perform it refer to your manual or visit your printer manufacturers website.

In addition to testing the printer using the printer self-test Microsoft Windows users
can also perform a software self-test to determine if their computer can see the printer
and it's able to print. Follow the steps below to perform this test.

1. Click Start, Settings, and open Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Printers or Printers and Fax icon.
3. Right-click on the Printer you want to test and click Properties. If you do not
see your printer listed your printer is not installed.
4. In the Printers Properties window click the Print Test Page button.
5. If the printer can print a test page, your printer is installed and setup properly.
However, if you are unable to print in other programs it is possible that the
program you are attempting to print from has issues.

Printer drivers

If your printer does not have any flashing lights and is connected properly it's possible
you may be encountering a driver related issue. downloading the latest printer drivers
for your printer.

Parallel (LPT) printers

65
 If the printer you're connecting to the computer is an LPT (parallel port) printer we
also suggest verifying the below suggestions if your printer is not working.

Print queue
check the print queue for the printer, there may be other users’ print jobs blocking up
the queue. To check the queue on a Windows computer, go to Start -> Settings ->
Printers and double-click on the printer. On a Macintosh, double-click on the printer
on the desktop. If there are numerous print jobs stuck in the queue, cancel any jobs
you own

HOW TO CONNECT TO A NETWORK PRINTER IN WINDOWS

the steps required for connecting a working printer to a network is very similar in
Windows 10, Win8 and Win7

Connect Network Printer in Windows

1. Turn on your printer and make sure it is connected to the network.

2. Open the Control Panel
3. Click on Hardware and Sound.
4. Double-click the Add a printer icon.
5. Select "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer" and click Next.
6. Let Windows scan for the printer and if detected, select the printer and
click Next. If
the printer is not listed, click "The printer that I want isn't listed" and skip to add
printer by name or TCP/IP address.
If you know the printer's name, choose "Select a shared printer by name" and enter the
path to the printer. For example, with a network named "office" and a printer named
"hp", the network path would be: "\\office\hp".
If you do not know the printer's path, but have the printer's IP address, select "Add a
printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname".
66
 Click Next.
7. If during the install, Windows asks for drivers, point to the location of your
printer drivers. If you do not have drivers, visit our printer drivers section to find links
to all printer drivers.

How to find a printer IP address

There are a few ways to find the IP address for a printer on your network. The option
you choose depends on a few factors, such as what type of printer you are using or
network access restrictions.

The various situation are as follows:

ONBOARD CONFIGURATION

A printer's network IP address can be determined through the onboard printer menu.
The menu screen upon which the IP address resides varies from printer to printer.
Consequently, you may need to refer to the printer's documentation to get the exact
steps. However, the following steps should get you to the appropriate section on most
machines.

1. On the printer, press the Menu or Setup button.

2. Use the appropriate buttons to navigate your way to a networking or network
setup option and press Enter.
3. Use the arrows to navigate through the available network options, and
select TCP/IP or IP address to view and change the IP address settings.
4. Your printer's IP address should be listed in this section.

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 What are DHCP, BOOTP, EtherTalk, and Manual?
Upon entering the network setup of your printer, you'll often be prompted for different
network configurations. The following list shows the most common modes, as well as
a brief description of each.
• DHCP - The most common configuration and often the default setting. When
set on a network with DHCP, the printer has its network settings assigned
automatically, including IP address.
• Manual - If you need to configure the printer's network settings manually,
choosing this option allows you to enter your network values via the keypad.
• EtherTalk - An older method utilized for printers communicating over
Ethernet using AppleTalk.
• BOOTP - Another host configuration, similar to and developed before DHCP.

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

If you are trying to find or configure a printer's IP address in Windows, follow these
steps:

1. Press the Windows key, type Devices and Printers and press Enter.
2. Locate the printer whose IP address you’re trying to find from the list of
displayed printers.
3. Right-click the printer and choose Printer Properties. In some instances, the
IP address is shown in the Locations box on the General tab. If not, proceed to the
next step.
Note: In Windows 10, select the printer in the list, click the Manage button, then click
the Printer properties option on the left side of the printer settings window.
4. Click on the Ports tab in the Printer Properties window. The IP address of the
printer may show in the port listing. If not, continue to the next step.
5. Click the Configure Port button. If the IP address is not displayed in the main
window, it may be in the System Info tab next to the DLL label.

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 Note: If the printer you are accessing hasn't been set up on the network (i.e. only
connected via USB cable), the IP address displayed may not be correct.
Note: If the IP address is not available using the steps above, you will need to find the
IP address through the menus on the printer itself or through the Command prompt.

COMMAND PROMPT

To find your printer's IP address through the command prompt, follow the steps below.
1. Press the Windows key on your Keyboard, type cmd, and then press Enter.
2. In the command prompt window that appears, type netstat -r, and then
press Enter.
3. A list of printers and other devices connected to your computer will appear.

ROUTER ACCESS

If you have access rights to your router, like a router for a home network, you can
locate your printer's IP address by going through the router's setup menus.

1. Log into your router by opening any web browser and typing 192.168.1.1 or
check the back of your router for the right IP, type it into the address bar and
pressing Enter.
2. At the prompt, enter a username and password which is commonly admin
admin
3. Once you have access, look for DHCP Client Table or any reference to
a client list, often found under the Local Network section. This step varies by router
manufacturer. You may need to consult your router's documentation or the router
manufacturer's website.
4. Open the client list and locate your printer to obtain its IP address.

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 CHAPTER ELEVEN
5 Reasons Why Computer Maintenance Is Important

It is hard to imagine our lives without computers. For most of us, the days are few and
far between when we do not use our computers to pay bills, play games, surf the
internet, or a plethora of other activities, and that is just on our own time. Most people
need computers to get their professional work done as well. Since computers are such
an integral part of our lives, it is crucial that we take care of them by having them
properly maintained. Here are five great reasons why regular computer maintenance is
a good idea.

Early Detection of Issues

Computers can be temperamental, and we all know that small issues can become huge
problems before we know it. But, having regular maintenance check done on your
computer can eradicate small issues before they become big problems. Small issues
can crop up at any time, even when your computer is new, nipping them in the bud
during a regular maintenance session can save you a lot of headaches when the
computer starts to age.

Prevention Against Viruses and Malware

It seems like no matter how often we sweep our computers or run virus checks on
them, our computers are still vulnerable to harmful viruses. There are innumerable
viruses and malware already out there just waiting to infect computers, and more are
being created every day. Some are meant to be a daily annoyance and slow down the
processing time of the computer or make pop-up messages appear, but others can
infect entire operating systems. When this occurs either at home or a business, it can
be costly to fix and can even cost a company money in other ways such as loss of
productivity. But, keeping computers well-maintained can keep both viruses and
malware away and keep your computer running in tip-top shape. Regular maintenance
can also help you ensure your antivirus software is up-to-date and working properly.
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Speed up Your Computer
Nothing can be more frustrating than a computer that processes too slowly. But, as
most of us can attest, over time our computers get clogged up with files and everything
gets disorganized and fragmented. The result is slow processing times. Computer
maintenance techs are experts at running speed and optimization checks that can
pinpoint issues and keep your computer running at an optimal speed.

Maximize your Software Efficiency

Another reason your computer may slow down over time is that your software package
is getting old. Since this change happens gradually, your computer simply gets used to
it and thinks that it is normal. But, having regularly scheduled maintenance on your
computer will clean out any issues and have your software running perfectly again.

Prevent Data Loss

Although data loss is uncommon, if it does happen, it can wreak havoc on your life.
When your computer starts running slowly or begins having occasional hiccups, it can
require a system reboot that can ultimately result in lost data. However, keeping your
computer maintained will lessen the likelihood of these instances and keep your data
safe and secure for when you need to access it.

THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE:

• Corrective Software Maintenance

• Adaptive Software Maintenance
• Perfective Software Maintenance
• Preventive Software Maintenance

Corrective Software Maintenance

Corrective software maintenance is what one would typically associate with the
maintenance of any kind. Correct software maintenance addresses the errors and faults
within software applications that could impact various parts of your software,
including the design, logic, and code. These corrections usually come from bug reports
71
that were created by users or customers – but corrective software maintenance can
help to spot them before your customers do, which can help your brand’s reputation.

Adaptive Software Maintenance

Adaptive software maintenance becomes important when the environment of your
software changes. This can be brought on by changes to the operating system,
hardware, software dependencies, Cloud storage, or even changes within the operating
system. Sometimes, adaptive software maintenance reflects organizational policies or
rules as well. Updating services, making modifications to vendors, or changing
payment processors can all necessitate adaptive software maintenance.

Perfective Software Maintenance

Perfective software maintenance focuses on the evolution of requirements and features
that existing in your system. As users interact with your applications, they may notice
things that you did not or suggest new features that they would like as part of the
software, which could become future projects or enhancements. Perfective software
maintenance takes over some of the work, both adding features that can enhance user
experience and removing features that are not effective and functional. This can
include features that are not used or those that do not help you to meet your end goals.

Preventive Software Maintenance

Preventative Software Maintenance helps to make changes and adaptations to your
software so that it can work for a longer period of time. The focus of the type of
maintenance is to prevent the deterioration of your software as it continues to adapt
and change. These services can include optimizing code and updating documentation
as needed.
Preventative software maintenance helps to reduce the risk associated with operating
software for a long time, helping it to become more stable, understandable, and
maintainable.

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For all businesses and organizations, software maintenance is an essential part of the
software development lifecycle. This isn’t something that one can skip or avoid. It is
absolutely necessary for the success of your software and any evolution into the future.
It is important to know that maintenance needs to go much further than fixing issues or
bugs – that is only one steps of the software maintenance process.

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 CHAPTER TWELVE
ERROR MESSAGE

POST ERROR MESSAGE

Definition:
A POST error message is an error message displayed on the monitor during the Power
On Self Test if the BIOS encounters some kind of problem while starting the PC.

A POST error message will only display on screen if the computer is capable of
booting this far. If the POST detects an error before this point, a beep code or POST
code will be generated instead.

POST error messages are usually fairly descriptive and should give you enough
information to begin troubleshooting whatever problem the POST found.

Also Known as: BIOS error message, POST screen message

Examples: "The POST error message that was on my screen said that the CMOS
battery had failed on my motherboard."

The errors that occur between the beeps and initializing the operating system can be
categorized into the following categories.

• Hardware failure (due to the physical problem with the booting drive)

• General Failure Error Reading Drive x

• Bad or Missing Command Interpreter

• Non system Disk or Disk Error

• Bad File Allocation Table

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• Corrupted or missing operating system files

• Corrupted or missing boot files

The configuration or boot up problems can occur to the hardware or operational

function’s failure and if the configuration is correct and this error appears this means
there is some problems in the hardware and boot up problems are normally linked with
the operating system.

COMMON SYSTEM ERROR MESSAGES AND SOLUTIONS

(A) A problem has been detected and window has been shut down
to prevent damage to your computer.
“unmountable –Boot- volume”.
Solution:
• Reformat the hard disk,
• If unable to format, then change the hard disk,
• If the disk is partition, delete all partition and repartition.

(B) “Setup was unable to format the partition”.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The disk may be damaged

Solution:
• Replace the hard disk.

(C) “Format terminated”

PROBABLE CAUSE: The disk may be damaged or contain some bad
cluster or sectors
Solution:

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 • Replace the hard disk.

(D) A problem has been detected and window has been shut down to
prevent damage to your computers
“Dumping of physical memory”

Probable Cause and Solution:

Either your hard disk or memory is bad and need replacement.

(E) “Operating system not found”

You system is not installed with any OS, to install operating

system, see Chapter Thirteen – on how to install OS

(F) “Error reading drive C”

Probable Cause: the system did not recognize your hard disk,
Solution:
• Check power cable,
• Make sure the hard disk is present in the BIOS setting
• If problem continue, replace the hard disk.

(G) “Hard disk controller Failure”

Solution:
• Check and make sure the power and data cable are properly
connected.
• The CD Rom and hard disk must not have some Jumper setting
on one data cable.
• Try connecting the cable to the other IDE controller on the main
board.

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(H) In window 7 “Boot MGR is missing”
press ctrl +Alt+ Del to restart.

Solution:
• Reinstall window 7 OS

(I) “DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND

PRESS ENTER”

Cause: either there is no HD or HD poorly or not connected

Solution:
• Install Hard Disk and connect it properly

(J) "Drive not Ready," appears.

Solution:

• Make sure the power supply is adequate for system needs.

• Reboot the computer and make sure the drive spins up.

(K) "No Fixed Disk Present," or “No bootable devices” appears.

Solution:

• Make sure the power supply is adequate for system needs.

• Hard disk may be bad- replace

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 (L) "Disk Boot Failure," "Non-System Disk" or "No ROM Basic -
SYSTEM HALTED" appears.

Solution:

• Reinstall the DOS system files using the DOS SYS utility.
• Check all cables.
• Check for viruses.
• Hard disk may be bad or not install, -install Hard disk

(Q) The system error message, "HDD controller failure" appears.

Solution:

• Confirm the jumper settings on the drive if is IDE desktop

• Verify the drive-type settings in the system setup program
• Check cable either SATA OR IDE

(S) “Windows was not properly shut down. One or more of your disk drives may
have errors on it”.

Solution:

• The system was not shut down sequentially. Allow the system to do a
scan. .

(T) “Not enough memory or insufficient memory appears during your

work session”

Solution:

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 • There are too many programs opened at the same time. Close some and try
again.
• Memory leaks have probably occurred. Reboot the machine.

(U) Configuration Error Messages Meanings

Press F1 to continue Invalid configuration

CMOS time and date not set CMOS battery error

CMOS memory size mismatches System configuration and setup

failure

CMOS system option not set CMOS battery failure or CMOS

checksum

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 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ILLEGAL OPERATION

An illegal operation, a term often seen in error messages, is a command to the

operating system or an instruction to the computer processor that specifies an
operation that is unknown to the operating system or processor and that therefore can't
be performed. The result is that the operating system or processor usually terminates
the program that made the "illegal" request. If that program was an application that
you were using, you may find that data you were entering was lost or, in some cases,
can be recovered from a backed-up copy that the system made for you.

A computer's processor knows what operation to perform as the result of an operation

code (or opcode) within the instruction. Failing to recognize an opcode, the processor
will return information to the operating system which in turn will usually terminate the
application program that sent the bad instruction and issue a message to the user about
the illegal operation. An illegal operation may mean a bug in the application program
(or occasionally in the operating system) or it may be the result of a combination of
unusual circumstances that the program and operating system could or did not
anticipate. In the latter case, the problem may not be repeated or may be intermittent.

The usual practice if you get an illegal operation message is to continue working if the
application is still running, or to restart the program if it has been terminated, and, if
the problem recurs, do reboot the operating system and try again. If you continue to
experience illegal operation errors with an application, uninstall the application.

How do fix illegal operations?

When the operating system or computer processor receives an instruction from a
program that it does not recognize and cannot process, it may issue a command known
as an Illegal Operation.

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Some causes
• Corrupt files
Corrupt, bad, or missing files can cause Illegal Operations. Try uninstalling and then
reinstalling the program causing the Illegal Operation to verify that any corrupt, bad or
missing files are replaced or repaired during the reinstallation.

• Memory managers
If you are running a memory manager that is used to obtain more memory or handle
the computer memory in replace of Windows, it is recommended you temporarily
disable or uninstall this program to verify it is not the memory manager causing the
Illegal Operations.

• Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers

Bad, incorrect or not the latest video drivers may cause Illegal Operations when
performing such tasks as moving the mouse or dragging data from one source to
another as high demands are placed on the video card. Try decreasing the resolution to
make sure your current settings are not causing the problem.

If after adjusting the video settings you still encounter the same issue, verify the
computer is utilizing the latest video card drivers

• Computer Virus
Because computer viruses and other malware is loaded into memory and can change
the data of program files when infecting a computer, make sure an anti-virus
protection utility is installed on the computer and that it is up-to-date, or chick chapter
eighteen for how to deal with virus

• Added hardware
If added hardware has been recently installed onto the computer, it is likely that either
the hardware is conflicting with other hardware devices on the computer or that the

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drivers used to install that hardware is causing issues with other hardware or software
installed on the computer. This is especially true with computer memory upgrades.
If added hardware has recently been added to the computer, temporarily remove that
added hardware and the software associated with it to make sure it is not causing the
problems.

Corruption or problem within Windows

Because Windows controls the memory operations as well as the file structure and
association, Windows or files associated with Windows can become corrupted, and
cause Illegal Operations or other errors. If you have tried all the above suggestions, I
suggest reinstalling Windows.

• Bad Memory, invalid bits or physically bad memory

Bad memory can cause Illegal Operations. If you have recently added memory to the
computer, remove the memory to make sure it is not causing the problem. If no
memory has been recently added and you have tried all the above recommendations
test your computer memory.

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 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SOFTWARE TROUBLESHOOTING

Basic software troubleshooting

Unable to install a software program

Verify the flash drive or CD/DVD is readable by reading the files on the drive. For
example, Microsoft Windows users can explore the drive in Windows explorer. If the
CD/DVD attempts to AutoPlay, you may need to right-click the drive and click
Explore to browse the drive. If the CD/DVD reads fine with no errors, verify your
computer meets the minimum requirements of the software program. If your computer
does not have enough disk drive space or does not meet the requirements, the program
will not install.

Make sure the program or utility you are installing is compatible with the version of
Operating System you have on your computer. For example, many older utilities such
as a virus protection program may only work with a specific version of Microsoft
Windows.

If you are getting stopped at the CD-KEY or Serial Number verification, verify you
are entering your correct number. If you lost your number or key or it does not work,
you will need to contact the developer of the program. Computer Hope will not
provide any users with an alternate identification number.

Error during installation

Verify your computer meets the requirements of the program or utility. For example, if
your computer runs out of disk space during the installation, this would cause an error
during the installation.

Program or utility does not load or has an error when it attempts to load

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Verify the program or utility documentation makes no mention of the error you are
experiencing. Many times, the error and explanation to how to resolve the error are
already documented.
Verify no patches or updates are available from the developer of the program or utility.
In some cases, the software program may require an update before it can be
successfully run on your computer.

Make sure all other programs are closed when you run the program or utility. If the
program successfully runs after closing all other programs, it's possible that the
program may have issues with other programs.

Make sure the computer has been rebooted at least once after the program has been
installed. In some cases, it may be required.

Verify your computer has the correct date. In some cases, a program may rely on the
date and if that date is incorrectly set it may cause issues
If following the above recommendations does not resolve your issues, reinstall the
program or utility.

Dead cooling fans:

You will see repeated illegal operations, fatal exceptions and general system lockups
when a CPU fan stops working.

• Look for disconnected, frayed, or melted cables.

• Check for loose memory chips.
• Make sure that hardware jumpers are configured properly, especially if
you have recently installed any new system components.
• Check for improper BIOS settings - if the BIOS continually loses its
settings, you may need to replace the motherboard battery.
• Look for disconnected external peripherals.

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If you hear a hard drive clicking loudly and repeatedly, you can be fairly certain it is
either dead or dying.
Look for components with clear physical damage, broken parts, charred surfaces,
smoking circuit boards, etc...
Most often, you will find that your hardware is not to blame. The majority of
problems that people run into are due to software error (corrupted files, software
misconfiguration, version incompatibility issues, drivers and device settings, etc.).
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION PATCHES: Newly released programs inevitably
contain bugs. Sometimes, new versions of programs will not interact well with other
previously installed software. As bugs become known, software vendors will post
“patches”, “fixes”, and “service packs” on their web site to provide corrections to the
program code. When you have programs that contain bugs, check the web site of your
software manufacturer (look for a “support” link) - they may have posted the fix you
need. If they haven’t, leave them an email message to bring the problem to their
attention, then check back regularly.
ELIMINATE TROUBLESOME PROGRAMS: Try to be conscious of when and how
software problems begin. If you notice that consistent problems began when you
installed an unnecessary program, then uninstall that program from your system (click
on START -> SETTINGS -> CONTROL PANEL -> ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS).

REINSTALL/UPDATE DRIVERS: Many hardware associated problems are caused

by driver conflicts, corrupt driver components, and drivers which need to be updated
for use with new program releases. When a piece of hardware stops working or
continually produces errors, try reinstalling the driver disk that came with it (usually
provided on a CD-ROM or floppy disk, in the manufacturer packaging). A much
more effective solution is to look for a new driver release provided by the
manufacturer of the component. www.windrivers.com provides specific manufacturer
links to virtually every hardware component on the market. It’s a good idea to save
downloaded driver patches onto floppy or CD-R disk, as it is very likely you will need
to install them several times throughout the life of your computer.
REINSTALL THE OS: Reinstalling your Windows operating system is one of the
best cures to an enormous number of common computer problems.
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 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

PARTITIONING AND FORMATTING HARD DISK

Formatting with Windows 7 and 8

Formatting with Windows7, Win8 and Win10 are quite similar and simple compare to
previous window 98 and XP.

1. Insert your Windows installation disc or flash drive into your disc drive and
restart your computer. Boot your PC from the bootable disc or drive.

2a. If you are using a manufacturer’s factory restore disc or hard-drive recovery
partition, follow the prompts to initiate the restoration process. Unless stated
otherwise, your drive’s primary partition will be formatted and returned to its
factory-fresh state.

2b. If you are using a Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation disc or flash drive,
select your language, accept the Windows license terms, and select Custom
(advanced) when prompted.

Select 'Drive options (advanced)' to format a drive from the Windows installer.

3. Delete any partitions you want to remove by selecting them, clicking Drive
options (advanced), and clicking Delete. Create new partitions by selecting
unallocated space, clicking Drive options (advanced), and clicking New.
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4. Select Format after creating your partition(s). After formatting is complete,
click Next to start the Windows installation. Windows may prompt you to
accept the creation of a small, system-reserved partition--accept it.

NOTE:
Formatting doesn’t securely erase the contents of a hard drive. With freely available
and easy-to-use tools, anyone can successfully recover data from a formatted drive

How to Completely Erase a Hard Drive

If you want to completely erase a hard drive, it's not as easy as deleting everything on
it. To truly erase hard drive data forever, you'll have to take some extra steps.

When you format a hard drive you don't actually erase the hard drive of data, you only
erase the location information for the data, making it "lost" to the operating system.
Since the operating system can't see the data, the drive looks empty when you look at
its contents.

However, all the data is still there and, unless you truly erase the hard drive, can be
recovered using special software or hardware.

The most responsible thing you can do before recycling a hard drive, or even disposing
of hard drive, is to completely erase the hard drive. If you don't erase the hard drive,
you risk exposing sensitive personal data that you previously deleted.

There are only three effective methods of erasing a hard drive:

1. Erase the Hard Drive Using Free Data Destruction Software

The easiest way to completely erase a hard drive is to use free data destruction
software, sometimes called hard drive eraser software or disk wipe software.

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Regardless of what you call it, a data destruction program is a piece of software
designed to overwrite a hard drive so many times, and in a certain way, as to make the
ability to extract information from the drive nearly impossible.

Some more stringent hard drive erasing standards forbid using data destruction
software, probably because of the possibility of user error and the variety of software
and methods that exist. However, as long as your drive doesn't contain national
security information, you should feel very comfortable using any one of these
programs to erase a hard drive.

Important: You must erase a hard drive using this method if you, or someone else,
ever plans on using the drive again. The next two ways to erase a hard drive will make
the drive unusable. For example, you should erase a hard drive this way if you're
selling or giving the drive away.

2. Use a Degausser to Erase the Hard Drive

Another way to permanently erase a hard drive is to use a degausser to disrupt the
magnetic domains on the drive - the very way that a hard drive stores data.

Some automatic degaussers can erase dozens of hard drives in an hour.

Important: Degaussing a modern hard drive will also erase the drive's firmware,
rendering the drive completely useless. If you want to erase a hard drive and also want
it to work properly after being erased, you must erase the drive using data destruction
software instead.

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Note: For the average computer owner or organization, degaussing probably isn't a
cost effective way to completely erase a hard drive. In most cases, physically
destroying the drive (below) is the best solution.

3 Physically Destroy the Hard Drive

Physically destroying a hard drive is the only way to absolutely and forever ensure that
the data on it is no longer available. Just as there is no way to extract the written
information from a burned piece of paper, there is no way to read the data from a hard
drive that is no longer a hard drive.

You can destroy a hard drive yourself by nailing or drilling through it several times,
making sure the hard drive platter is being penetrated each time. In fact, any method of
destroying the hard drive platter is sufficient including sanding the platter after being
removed. "Destruction of media is the ultimate form of sanitization."

Warning: Wear safety goggles and take great caution destroying a hard drive
yourself. Never burn a hard drive, put a hard drive in a microwave, or pour acid on a
hard drive.

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 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WINDOWS INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

Before we know about installing windows, we should understand what BIOS setup
means, BIOS simply mean Basic Input and Output Services. BIOS come with different
manufacturer and visions, know matter the version of BIOS there have a lot of
similarities.

BIOS setting is where you can set you system boot order, detect Hardware and set
date and time etc, most BIOS can detect hard ware automatically

HOW TO INSTALL WINDOWS

Installing window 10 is similar to win7 and 8. Windows operating system is

completely redesigned. It moves away from the traditional interface to a completely
new interface known as Metro User Interface. The familiar start menu is now gone.
Icons and windows are replaced with live tiles and magazine styled interface. Unlike
any previous versions, Windows 8 and its variation RT works across multiple
architectures and has been optimized for touch screen. So, it will work on Intel based
PCs or an ARM based tablet.

This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to install Microsoft Windows 8

Professional. You can follow this guide if you have Windows 8 basic edition or any
other version as the steps are very similar.

The best way to install Windows is to do a clean install. Before you start the
installation process, I recommend that you check Windows System Requirements to
ensure that your hardware is supported by Windows 8. If you don't have Windows
drivers for all your hardware, it is a good idea to download all the drivers from the
hardware manufacturers web site and save all the necessary drivers on a CD/DVD or a
USB drive before you start the installation.

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Windows 8 Professional can be installed from FLASH DRIVE or DVD bootable. In
order to boot from the FLASH DRIVE or DVD you need to set the boot sequence.
Look for the boot sequence under your BIOS setup and make sure that the first boot
device is set to your desire drive.

Step 1 - Place Windows FLASH DRIVE or DVD in your dvd-rom drive or USB port
and start your PC. Windows 8 will start to boot up and you will get the following
screen with a rotating progress bar.

Step 2 - The next screen allows you to setup your language, time and currency format,
keyboard or input method. Choose your required settings and click next to continue.

Step 3 - The next screen allows you to install or repair Windows 8. Since we are doing
a clean install we will click on "install now".

91
Step 4 - The setup process starts as shown.

Step 5 - At this stage you need to type your product key that came with your copy of
Windows 8. Click next once you have entered the product key correctly.

Step 6 - Read the license terms and tick I accept license terms. Then click next to
continue.

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Step 7 - Choose the type of installation you want. Since you are doing a clean install
you need to click on custom.

Step 8 - Choose where you would like to install Windows 8. If you have one hard
drive you will get an option similar to the image below. You can click next to continue
then go to step 12.

If you have more than one drive or partition then you need to select the appropriate
drive and click next. At this stage you can go to step 12.

If you want to partition a large drive then do not click next. Go to step 9.

Step 9 - If you want to partition an existing drive then click new. Choose the size of
the partition and click apply.

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Step 10 - Click OK to create the partition. Windows will create additional system
partition which you don't have to worry about.

Step 11 - You will notice that you have 3 partitions. Partition 1 is system reserved.
Leave this partition alone. Partition 2 is 30GB primary partition that was created in the
last step. The third partition is unallocated which means it is not being used. You can
however format it and use it as a second storage drive. This can be done after windows
installation is finished so I will leave it for now.

Choose partition 2 (Primary Partition). This is where I will install Windows 8. Click
next to continue.

Step 12 - At this stage Windows starts to copy files to your hard drive and begins the
installation. This process might take a few minutes depending on your computer
specification. Now is a good time to grab yourself a coffee.

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Step 13 - When all the necessary files are copied Windows 8 will automatically restart
as shown.

Step 14 - You will go through various progress bar and information messages as
shown on the following images. Windows might restart automatically second time.

Step 15 - You are now presented with "Let's go through a few basics" screen. It will
automatically select personalize option.

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Step 16 - Choose your PC name and personalize the color.

Step 17 - Here you can choose express settings or choose customize. I will choose
customize to make further customization.

Step 18 - Choose Yes, turn on sharing and connect to devices.

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Step 19 - Help protect and update your PC. Choose your preferred option and click
next.

Step 20 - Send Microsoft info to help make Windows and apps better. Choose your
preferred options or leave the default settings. Click next to continue.

Step 21 - Check online for solutions to problem. Choose your preferred options or
leave the default settings. Click next to continue.

Step 22 - Sign in to your PC. Here you can login to your PC using a Microsoft email
account such as your hotmail account.

If you do not have a Microsoft account you can create one by clicking Sign up for a
new email address. Go to Step 23.
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If you don't want to create an email account and prefer to create a local user name,
click Sign in without a Microsoft account. Go to step 24.

Step 23 - Sign up for a new email address. If you want to create a new email account
you need to complete the form below.

Step 24 - Click local account

Step 25 - Here you can choose a local user name and password. Choose finish to
continue.

Step 26 - At this stage Windows starts to finalize your settings. You will get the
following information screen as the installation moves forward.

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Step 27 - As Windows 8 setup progresses you are given a presentation of the new
interface. Its shows you how swiping the edge of the screen brings up the Charm bar.
Using the Charm bar you can do a search or change your settings. It also demonstrates
how you can hover your mouse on the bottom or top left corner to access the switch
list. This list shows all open applications and allows you to switch between them.

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Step 28 - Soon as the demonstration finishes windows moves into the final stages of
the setup.

Step 29 - Finally the setup process is finished and you are presented with a
completely new and unfamiliar Metro user interface. You have your most common
application right in front of you. Clicking on any tiles will launch that application. At
this point you can start using your computer. However, it may not be fully configured.
You need to make sure that all the hardware is detected correctly and the necessary
device drivers are installed. This can be done from the device manager.

Step 30 - To go to device manager click search on charm bar on the right. Then type
devmgmt.

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Step 31 - You will see all your hardware listed as shown on the image below. You
need to check if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to the name of the
devices, similar to "Base System Device" on the image below. This indicates that the
driver has not been installed for this device.

At this stage you can install the driver for this device. To do so, Right Mouse click on
Base System Device -> Update Driver Software...

Step 32 - You can choose to "Search automatically for updated driver software" or
"Browse my computer for driver software". If you have the driver CD or if the driver
is on a USB drive then choose "browse my computer for driver software". Window 8
will search and install the driver from the CD or you can locate the driver manually.

Once you have removed all the yellow exclamation marks from the device manager
your Windows 8 configuration would be fully complete.

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 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

DEFRAGMENTING

What Is Defragmenting and Why Should I Do It

Fragmentation is caused when an operating system breaks a file into pieces because
there is not enough space on the storage device where the file was originally saved.

One example of this would be where a file was originally saved, then modified causing
the file to be larger in physical space than first anticipated, the operating system will
then break the file into 2 or more pieces and store them in different parts of the storage
area.

The system would then keep a record of where the different parts of the file are stored,
this is achieved through the use of a File Allocation Table (FAT) or similar file system
such as NTFS.

Then, when the operating system requires the file again, it will query the file system
(FAT/NTFS/or other) to find out where the different parts of the file are located on the
partition (drive).

Defragmentation is the term given to the process of scanning the file system and
rejoining the split files back into consecutive pieces.

The process of defragmenting can be time consuming, but it is one of the easiest ways
to increase the performance of your PC, the frequency of which a PC should be
defragmented will directly depend on the amount of usage.

Think of your hard drive like a file cabinet. If you're like most people, you've got your
papers stored in alphabetized folders so you can find things easily.

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Imagine, though, if someone took the labels off the folders, switched the locations of
all the folders, and moved documents into and out of folders at random. It would take
you a lot longer to find anything, since you wouldn't know where your documents
were. That's sort of what happens when your hard drive gets fragmented: it takes the
computer much more time to find files that are scattered here, there and everywhere.
Defragmenting your drive restores order to that chaos, and speeds up your computer

Defragmenting in Windows Win7 and 8

Win 7

In Windows 7, follow these steps to pull a manual defrag of the

PC’s main hard drive:

1. Open the Computer Property window.

2. Right-click the media you want to defragment, e.g.
drive, C.

3. In the drive’s Properties dialog box, click the Tools

tab.

4. Click the Defragment Now button.

The Disk Defragmenter window appears. Rather than plow
ahead and potentially waste time defragmenting a drive that
doesn’t need it, check the media’s current fragmentation.

5. Click the Analyze Disk button.

6. Wait while Windows checks the defragmentation on the media.

Check the Percent Fragmented value by the disk in the Disk Defragmenter
window. If it’s zero, there’s no point in continuing: Skip to Step 8.

Even when the drive shows 0 percent fragmented files, you can still proceed with
defragmentation. No media can be fully defragmented, so the Windows
Defragmenter will always find something to do.
7. Click the Defragment Disk button.

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 Windows defragments the media. Sit back and watch, or do something else,
though you shouldn’t do anything on your computer while the media is being
defragmented

Note: you can also go to All Program, click Accessary, System Tools ,
Defragmentation

Win 8/ Win10

In Windows 8, the name for a lot of features in Windows 7 has changed. For example,
Windows Anytime Upgrade is now called Add Features to Windows 8. Disk
Defragmenter has now been changed to Optimize Drives. Not really sure why the
name changes were necessary, but if you’re looking for something in Windows 8 and
Windows 10 and can’t find it, it’s probably because the name has changed.

In this this latest Windows, is best to use the search /Charms bar and search for any
features or programs you are looking for, but in the case search for Optimize Drives.
Luckily, you can still search disk defragmenter and it will load the correct feature.

• Click on the Charms Bar > Optimize Drives

• The Optimize Drives dialog shall open, displaying the list of drives.
• Select the drive of your choice (Note that: the Current status field will give you
the % fragmented) and click on *Optimize.
• The defragmentation process will start.

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Note: You can also get to the Optimize Drives feature by going to My Computer,
selecting a drive, clicking on the Manage tab and then clicking on the
Optimize button.
This will bring up the Optimize Drives dialog box where you will see a list of your
drives and their current status (% fragmented).

In Windows 8, the drives are automatically scheduled for optimization on a weekly

basis. You can manually optimize or defragment a drive in Windows 8 by selecting it
and then clicking on the Optimize button.

This will start the defrag process manually and you’ll see that Windows 8 does two
passes to relocate fragmented data on the hard drive. You can also click the Analyze
button to quickly update the percent fragmented value.

If you want to change the automatic optimize schedule, click on Change settings.

You can either remove the schedule so that automatic defragmentation is turned off or
you can change it from weekly to daily or monthly. You can also choose all drives or a
specific drive to change the schedule for. Lastly, if you click the Choose button, you
can change whether you want new drives to automatically be scheduled for
optimization also or not.

That’s about all there is to defragmenting disks in Windows 8. For most people, the
automatic schedule should work fine, but if you have a third party tool or simply don’t
find defragmenting useful, you can always turn it off in the settings.

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 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

PC VIRUS AND TREATMENT

What is PC Virus
PC virus are program that can cause damage to your computer system and files. They
are malicious program design intentionally and accidentally from program code which
can destroy your computer system or cause malfunctioning

Virus Symptoms
Some common virus symptoms are:

• System become too slow.

• Sudden change of file name and size
• Strange file appears on your system. You try to delete them, but they keep
coming back
• The program size keeps changing.
• My disk keeps running out of free space.
• I keep getting 32-bit errors in Windows.
• File keep duplicating themselves
• Mouse point jumping round the screen or freezing
• strange behavior of hard drives or other hardware

• The drive light keeps flashing when I'm not doing anything.

Hidden Virus?
Sometimes it's easy to tell that you have a virus; it will display a message, play music,
or paint a picture. But you can't depend on these types of clues. Some viruses never
advertise their presence in this way, and even those that do might be around for a
while before they let you know. That's why some viruses have triggers or counters --
so they can spread as much as possible before they affect your system. So don't wait
and see; take positive steps to locate and eradicate viruses before they do any damage.

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Types of viruses
A computer virus is a program written to deliberately invade a computer system
without its user's permission or knowledge. They infect executable files, not data files.
(Though they can damage data files.) They are "parasitic" because they attach
themselves to programs or disk boot sectors and replicate themselves. This ability
allows viruses to spread to infect other systems. Viruses are classified by the types of
files they infect

• Boot Viruses: which infect a disk's boot record, master boot record (mbr), file
allocation table (fat), and partition table, which are all used when booting a
computer from a diskette or hard drive
• Program viruses: which infect program files with file extensions like: .com,
.exe, .ovl, .drv, .sys, and .bin
• Multipartite viruses: which infect both programs and boot sectors

Viruses are inactive until you run the infected program or boot your computer from the
infected disk. When activated, the virus is loaded into the computer's memory where it
can perform a triggered event

Boot Viruses
Every disk, hard disk or floppy diskette, bootable or not, has a boot sector, and that
boot sector may be infected with a boot virus. But since they are only transmitted
during the boot process, if your hard disk starts out "clean", and you make absolutely
sure that you never leave a diskette in your computer's floppy drives when you turn it
on or reboot it, then you will never get a boot virus.

If you boot your computer with a diskette infected with a boot virus in your a: drive,
the virus will be transferred to memory and then to your hard drive. Once your hard
drive's boot code is infected, the boot virus will be loaded into memory every time you
boot your computer, and can travel to every diskette that you use (unless it is write-
protected).

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You could have a boot virus on your hard drive without knowing about it. But don't
leave one there for any length of time; any boot virus will eventually cause some
problems and some can destroy the boot information or force a complete format of the
hard drive.

Program Viruses
Program viruses are activated and loaded into memory when you run an infected
program; any program file that you run after that will also be infected with it. Infected
programs may run normally for some period of time, but they will eventually develop
problems, and may even bring your whole computer down. Multiple infections with
different program viruses are common.

How to Remove a Virus

1. install an anti-virus and can your system with the anti-virus

2. format your system and reinstall OS
3. backup your files, you back date your system date and time before

Diagnosis and Treatment

Antivirus programs are the best way to protect your computer against viral infection --
run one whenever you have problems with your system or your programs and be sure
to scan any new disks or programs before you use them. (Yes, even the install disks
that you get from real companies can be infected.) But even this doesn't offer you any
guarantees; you might forget to scan the wrong disk, or get one of the new viruses that
are created every day that the existing antivirus programs can't treat.

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