Repair or Replace your PC?

Computer Care: Knowing when to fix, when to replace

	By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: September 6, 2013 9:48 p.m The last three computers I worked on all needed to be retired, replaced or used for target practice. There comes a time when it’s simply no longer cost-effective to keep your old XP relic running, no matter how much you like it. I have an XP machine in my lab that I use solely for research while working on other computers. It has its issues, but serves its purpose. But it is not my main computer and should it fail, I have others. One decade-old computer I recently worked on had a failing hard drive, was in need of additional RAM and had an inoperable optical drive. Could I have repaired it? Sure, but the cost would have been close to that of a new computer with a faster processor, lots more RAM, a huge, new hard drive and a warranty. In a couple of hours I could have had it running like new, but for $200 more than my fee, an inexpensive replacement could be had. If you only require a memory upgrade though, by all means go for it. An additional gigabyte or two won’t cost much and you’ll really see the difference from 512 MB of RAM to 2 GB. Browsing within your computer and across the web will both be much faster. If you have enough memory already, but your hard drive fails, it is probably worth replacing the drive. You will need to have a Windows installation CD though. You can copy your data, but the Windows will need to be reinstalled on that new hard drive. Keep in mind your programs will need reinstalling as well. Your photos and documents can be transferred, but the programs that created them and the operating system cannot. Be advised to back up your files regularly. It may be too late by the time you think of it. Once a hard drive fails, there is precious little time to extract data from it. The easiest way is to either use an online service such as Mozy or Carbonite, or get an external USB hard drive for storage. Redundancy is good for important files. Make more than one copy if you value your data. DVDs can get scratched and hard drives can fail, so spread your data around on various mediums. More than once I’ve had to reinstall my printer driver and software. I’d attempt to print something and Windows would advise me that I had no printer installed. Go figure. There was nothing else wrong with my computer, just no printer anymore. All printer manufacturers offer free driver downloads from their websites. It’s a simple, yet annoying fix for a printerless system. If your computer beeps more than once when it boots up, it’s telling you something is wrong. Most times it’s a memory error. Modules go bad or work their way loose. Desktop batteries also die. That’s another inexpensive, yet annoying fix, not worth trashing your computer over. Many clients have advised me that if I couldn’t speed up their system, they would throw out their computer and get new a one. To make a computer faster is not too much trouble nor much cost, either. It’s all know-how and labor. There are no parts to replace. If all that’s wrong with your computer is its speed, there is no reason to replace it. A robust tune-up will suffice. More than a virus, malware can bring your computer to its knees, making it crawl. Use of a proper utility or an occasional tune up will eradicate malware infections and help keep your system up to speed. One of the biggest malware scams is the registry cleaner. You see a pop-up advising you to click somewhere to fix your system’s registry. The key here is that without running a scan, there is no way for a program to know there are errors in the registry or anywhere else. Also keep in mind that many pop-ups say that Windows has discovered registry errors. Windows will never tell you that. It’s just not part of its job, not yet anyway. This is not to say that cleaning your registry won’t help your system; it will. You need to have installed a bonafide registry utility of your choice, though. Don’t pick one that mysteriously appears on your computer’s desktop. Some are real; others are not. Keep your computer healthy. Run virus and malware scans, clean temporary and history files and keep the registry and file system clean. An occasional defragmentation will help, as will updating your system drivers when necessary. But if you have multiple hardware failures on a computer that is older than your dog, it’s time to replace. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Safe Mode for Self-Support

Computer Care: Safe Mode helps you track down system problems

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 1, 2010 4:28 p.m.

Before you call a technician to fix your computer, there are a couple of things you could try on your own. System Restore is one option, but we covered that in a previous column. Safe Mode is another option. The former loads an alternative version of the registry, one when everything was working the way it should.

When you can’t boot normally into Windows, the latter lets you into a version of the OS with only the absolute necessities running, allowing you to attempt repairs. You will not have sound, Internet or printing capabilities and the display will look different. It will load with only 16 colors and a resolution of 640 x 480, making everything look larger. Although limited, you will have enough functionality to troubleshoot your problem.

Once there, you’ll be able to destroy malware, eradicate viruses, address system conflicts and repair your registry, if it warrants it.
So how do you get there? Reboot your computer and tap the F8 key immediately after the initial messages appear on screen. If you get to the Windows logo, you missed your window of opportunity. Reboot and try again.

You’ll see a window entitled “Advanced Options Menu” if you did it correctly. The top option is Safe Mode, but there’s another one you should try first.

Halfway down the list, find “Last Known Good Configuration” and click on it. It is a form of System Restore that will take you back to better times. It may or may not work for you, but it’s worth a try.

After booting into Windows with that option, if nothing has changed reboot and try again. This time hit the top Safe Mode option. You’ll get a confirmation pop-up advising you that you’re about to enter Safe Mode. Click “Yes” to continue.

If you get a password window and don’t have one, just hit enter and continue. You’ll see a black screen with scrolling text. This is normal. When it settles down and you are in Windows, you’ll see the words “Safe Mode” in all four corners of the screen.

If this didn’t work for you, there is another way to get there. From inside Windows, click “Start,” and then “Run” in XP or use the Search box in Vista or 7. Type “msconfig” to bring up the System Configuration Utility. Under the Boot.ini tab, check the box next to “Safeboot” and make sure the “minimal” option is also checked. When you reboot, you’ll be where you need to be.

Now it’s time to get to work. You’ll need to play detective and try to figure out what changes to your system stopped it from working properly. Determine if the culprit was newly added hardware, software or an updated driver.

When you add these things, it’s important to be certain they are compatible with your particular operating system. Windows is not Windows. If you have Win 7, make sure the box or Web site you got it from says, “Compatible with Windows 7.”

Use the proper delete method for whatever you are getting rid of. Control Panel has Add/Remove Hardware and Software utilities or you could use third-party applications.

Uninstall that new program, reboot and see if it helped. Then try uninstalling the printer or mouse you just added, reboot and see if that helped. Then try the drivers. Do it in steps.

If you want to roll back a device driver, go to Device Manager and double-click on the mouse, for example. Then choose to roll it back to a previous version.

To get out of Safe Mode, you only need to reboot normally, unless you had to use the System Configuration Utility. In that case, go back and uncheck the box you initially checked for Safe Mode.

If all of this troubleshooting fails to remedy your problem, it’s time to get out the big guns. Find your Windows CD.

If you boot to it, you can choose to initiate a Windows repair. If you’re not careful, you’ll be reinstalling Windows, which you may have to end up doing anyway, but not yet.

The second time you’re asked, hit “R” to run the repair module. It will appear as if Windows is reinstalling, bit in fact it is just copying and replacing files. When all is done, you’ll still have your programs and documents.

Don’t abort this process. You’ll only be asking for more trouble if you do and will have to finish it later anyway.

If the repair didn’t take, the last thing to try is a complete and full reinstallation of Windows. That WILL delete your files and you’ll be starting from scratch. But at least everything will work as it should.

Don’t jump to conclusions so fast though. That’s why there is Safe Mode. It will let you in to fix the system when you couldn’t normally. Try using it first. It could save you both time and money.

We techs are always here if you need us.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Pitfalls of Self-Repair

Computer Care: Beware the pitfalls of home PC repair

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Sept. 26, 2009 6:18 p.m.

There are circumstances when a computer can be fixed at home without the aid of a technician. There are also times when self-repair should never be attempted. Consider some of these situations next time something goes wrong with your PC.

Short of replacing the motherboard or processor, you might contemplate fixing your own computer if it seems routine enough. It all depends on how adept you are with your hands, working in tight places and your knowledge of computers and electricity.

No matter what you attempt, the first thing to do is unplug it. Don’t be a tough guy. It’s crowded in there and you never know what you might inadvertently touch.

Then make sure you are grounded. Electrostatic discharge can toast a system in seconds without you even knowing it. The easiest way to ground yourself is to touch a metal part of the box before you unplug it. Don’t work on a carpet or in stocking feet.

Even the simplest of tasks can prove disastrous if you’re not careful. Cleaning accumulated dust from a system shouldn’t prove difficult. It collects around the fans, in the power supply and on the motherboard. Too much dust eventually will force a computer to shut down.

Using a can of compressed air will do the job, but realize it is compressed gas, not air. It is dangerous to breathe, so take it outside. You’ll also make more of a mess than you think, another reason not to do it indoors.

If you hold the can any way other than upright, some propellant will escape. Not only is it cold, it is liquid and could short out the computer if you are not careful.

I caution you against the use of a vacuum to clean dust from your PC. It’s better to blow the dust off than suck it in. You never know — the vacuum may eat a small, loose part that you need.

On laptops, the keys pop off easily. If you vacuum bagel crumbs from a Satellite or Inspiron keyboard, you may lose a letter or two.

Replacing RAM, a hard drive or interface cards should be routine enough. But if you drop a screw, knock a cable or fail to seat a card properly, your system will not boot up. I always count screws as I take them out so I know how many should go back in when I’m done.

And speaking of cables, it’s a good idea to label them as you unplug them from the rear of the box. Both the mouse and keyboard use PS2 connectors, unless they are USB (then it doesn’t matter). The Ethernet cable looks like a phone cord but won’t fit in the wrong port. It’s also easy to confuse the speaker port with the mic port; both use pin plugs.

If you try to reinstall the video cable backward, you will most likely bend some pins, rendering the cable and in some cases, the monitor useless. On CRT monitors, the cable does not unscrew from it. Most LCDs, though, have connectors at both ends.

Be careful cleaning the monitor surface. It’s always better to spray your paper towel or cloth rather than the device itself. If you spray the screen, the liquid may puddle and drip inside, possibly shorting it out. Also, the less harsh the solvent you use, the better. Some may fog the surface of the monitor.

RAM goes in easy enough, but again, if you try to install it backward, you will not only damage the memory module, but its receptacle on the motherboard. Laptop memory has a spring latch holding it in place and usually goes in on an angle. It’s just something else to pay attention to.

While you’re inside your desktop, it’s not a bad idea to replace the battery — yes the battery. It controls your clock, among other things. They should last four to five years, and cost only about $3. So as long as you have the cover off, you might as well change it. They are easy to spot: flat, shiny and about the size of a quarter. Be careful popping it out. I suggest using pencil to release the spring. Pay attention to the polarity. The positive side (with the plus sign) should face up.

As far as printers go, if you need more than a cartridge alignment, I’d toss it. You pay for the ink now, not the unit itself.
Before you close up the box, take a last look around. Is everything connected? Check for any loose screws. Turn it upside down if you have to. All it takes is one to short it out.

Plug in the cables, saving the power cord for last and see if it still works.

There are lots of user-serviceable parts in a computer. But if you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself replacing more than a RAM module. Before you take on even routine maintenance, give it careful consideration.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly.