First, clear your head. There are few things as frustrating as a PC that acts kooky for no reason. In order to troubleshoot effectively, you must be calm so you can think the problem through and apply level headed deductive reasoning. Deep breaths, good thoughts.

Deductive reasoning
Look for evidence and start a process of elimination. If, for example, your monitor stops displaying properly all of a sudden, you can probably rule out such things as the hard drive and processor. Your targets will be the monitor and its cabling, the video card, and its software drivers.

Simple stuff
Check the simple stuff first. Ensure that all your cables are attached firmly and correctly. Look for signs of damage to cables or connectors such as bent pins.

Scan for viruses
Viruses are evil little devil spawns that can enter your system unbeknownst to you and wreak havoc. If you have the skills scan for viruses using antivirus software.

What's changed recently?
Try uninstalling stuff you've recently added, one at a time, and see if the problem goes away. If your system is loaded with software and peripherals you rarely ever use, get rid of them. A spartan system always runs best.

Check the company's web site
If a certain piece of software or hardware starts acting funny or doesn't work at all when you first start using it, check the manufacturer's web site. If you have the skills there may be software patches or driver updates available for download.

Try a troubleshooting application
If you have the skills, you might want to try using a troubleshooting application (like Norton Utilities or McAfee's Nuts & Bolts) in an attempt to identify the culprit.

Read the manuals
Manuals typically contain troubleshooting tips for common problems. Help files are even easier to use than manuals because you can search specific problems by keyword.

Start fresh
If you have the skills, you might consider reinstalling Windows.

When all else fails ? call in an expert from  

Computer Frustrations

If you have a problem with a certain piece of hardware, like a hard drive, a modem or some other peripheral device, one of the best places to look is the web site of the manufacturer and/or the distributor.

Many hardware manufacturers and the distributors of their products do maintain a Help or Tech Support segment online for their various products. Those can be virtual gold mines of solutions to known problems.

The documentation that came with your computer or individual piece of hardware will usually include some form of directions to such Help sites online as well as phone numbers and regular mail addresses that you can use to contact Support personnel.

If you cannot find such documentation, you can use any good Web search engine to locate the necessary web sites.

If you are having problems with software, again, search under the name of the company or the name of its product.

For example, search for the Microsoft site and then search for Word if you need a patch or an upgrade for MS-Word software.

For example, if you are using Macintosh, look at maorchard.com

If you're looking for more discussion of problems and tricks, then a newsgroup is for you.

You can also find computer Frequent Questions & Answers (FAQ's) in many sites & newsgroups

However, the simplest solution if you have a problem and need help with a piece of hardware or software for your computer is to contact  

Slow Computer

In any computer system, there are four fundamental resources: the CPU, the memory, the Input and Output parts, (e.g., disks and networks), and the Users.
Each resource has its own particular set of problems.

1. The CPU
Many programs want to use the CPU at the same time. Under most circumstances time is allocated fairly; however, each process (or program) requires a certain number of CPU cycles to execute and there are only so many cycles in a day. At some point the CPU just can't get all the work done.

2. The Memory Subsystem
Problems arise when the memory requirements exceed the memory available. To handle this lack of memory, portions of active processes are moved to the disk in order to reclaim memory. At this point, performance decreases dramatically.

3. The Input & Output Subsystem
The I/O subsystem is a common source of resource contention problems. It is shared by all the devices and each kind of device has its own peculiarities and, therefore, its own problems. The disk and network subsystems are particularly important to overall performance.

4. Users
One of the most important factors? The users who submit the jobs. The way you use the computer has a big effect on your system's performance. How many people use the Internet to access remote file systems? How many access large files on your own computer?

5.Virus

A virus may cause your computer to be running slow. Sometimes a virus may be there without you knowing it. This may happen if you do not have anti-virus software or have not kept your virus definitions up to date. Do a full virus scan using the latest virus definitions

6. Spyware

A growing problem caused by programs being loaded on to you computer without your knowledge or without your understanding of what they do. Usually, they will be loaded when you access the internet. These can be removed.

For expert help, call in an expert from  

Care of CD ROMs

In order for your CDs to stand the test of time, you must care for them properly. This means placing them in jewel cases whenever you're not using them, not subjecting them to direct sunlight or other extreme weather conditions, and keeping them away from the hands of small children and clumsy adults.

The storage story
If you're short of jewel cases, paper or plastic sleeves are better than nothing. However, where a jewel case suspends a disc in midair, a paper sleeve is in direct contact with the surface of a disc. Dust can accumulate inside a sleeve, turning it into sandpaper, slowly yet inexorably ruining the surface of your disc.

Downside up
If you're not 100 percent diligent about keeping your discs safely tucked away (who is?), then you should always place them clear side down. The labeled/printed face of a disc is actually more delicate than the bottom, clear, poly carbonate layer, and major damage to the label side will ruin the reflective and dye layers as well.

Label issues
Labels are handy for categorizing your discs, but they can also affect performance and damage your discs. A poorly attached label can cause a disc to wobble too much for high-speed reading. If you must use labels, use only those formulated for use on CDs. These have milder adhesives than general-purpose labels and shouldn't react badly with the top layer.

CD markup
Marking a disc with a pen is probably OK if you use a specially formulated CD marker. But the ink formulations in some general-purpose pens can react badly with the upper layer and leak through to harm the reflective and dye layers below. If you want to be completely safe, either mark your discs on the clear inner circle where no data is stored, or better yet, leave the disc unmarked and use the paper jewel case insert to list the disc's contents.

Follow these few simple rules, and you can expect years of service from your CD media.

If you need assistance, call in an expert from   

Virus Symptoms

Symptoms of Viruses.
Some common symptoms that may indicate your computer system has been infected with a virus are:

Unusual messages or displays on your monitor.
Unusual sounds or music played at random times.
Your system has less available memory than usual.
Your computer seems to be running slower.
A disk name has changed.
A volume name has changed.
Programs are suddenly missing
Files are suddenly missing.
Unknown programs are created
Unknown files are created.
Some of your files become corrupted
Some of your files suddenly do not work properly.

If you need assistance, call in an expert from

 XP or not XP

Should You Upgrade to WINDOWS XP?

Windows XP is built on the proven reliability of Microsoft Windows 2000 one of the most dependable operating systems.

XP has proven to be faster starting up and shutting down, and faster at opening up applications written by Microsoft.

For security every user is set up by default as an administrator of the computer, which means that every user can view, edit, create, and delete any files or folders that exist on the computer. You can secure the computer and keep each user from seeing the other users? files and folders.

With XP?s compatibility mode almost all applications & games will run properly.

There is an expanded driver database so installing new hardware is much simpler than it used to be.

XP home or XP Professional? XP Professional is the only one that ability the ability to logon to a Domain Controller, so if you are using your computer in a business environment that has or will ever have a server you should purchase XP Professional.

Some of the other differences are the ability to remote access you PC, data, and applications from the internet or through a dial-up connection.

With XP Professional you have more control over file and folder security and user level permissions.

We would recommend a PC with at least 1.2 GHz or faster processor and 512 MB of RAM

If you need assistance, call in an expert from  

Basic Networking

Computer Networking is the direction that technology is taking us. Stand alone computers are limited in the benefits they can provide compared to two or more computers that can communicate with each other, shares hardware resources and data. The basic introduction to networking for most users today is through access to the Internet. The Internet is accessed using a modem and a communication network through your telephone line or cable company. It allows a user to see or share data on another computer on the internet. This has evolved form the early days when networks were private with limited access. These local area networks (LAN) are now affordable and easy to install in small businesses and in homes. Networking has come a long way.

A LAN can be installed using you existing telephone wiring or by running separate cables between your computers. By having you computers connected this way you can share data and files, share a common printer or have multiple printers shared by everyone. If you have internet access on one computer you can let other networked computers access the internet through the same modem.

If you have more that one computer in your business or your office you are a candidate to having a private network or virtual private network(VPN) of your own. We can come to your office or home and evaluate your needs and suggest alternative solutions with costs, and then install the network.

Key Benefits
- Shared resources such as printers, directories and files
- Shared internet access through a single modem
- Email for all users
- Some Basic Thought on Networking

Networking may be needed if people at the office, or in the home, need to share data.

The data may be word documents, spreadsheets, graphics, and other types of information. Without a network it is not possible to quickly share this data with others.

If you do not have your computers networked, you have to print out the documents so that others can edit them or use them. Or, you give files on CD or floppy disks to others to copy to their computers.

More than one individual may make changes to a document and there is no way to easily merge the changes. This can be a major problem for people working together

A network allows everyone to share the one printer, or scanner.

With a network it is easier for people to find and share data.

It is easier to copy data.

Time savings can result - instead of having people swap disks, data can be transferred quickly.

A network can improve communication around staff and through your company.

A network will provide management with stronger control over information.

Management can easily control access to sensitive data.

Networking allows for centralized backup of all data.

Networking is a most efficient way to share information - you can even share files between different environments, for example, between a Macintosh user and a PC user.

Networking allows you share internet access between many computers

You can even share files or printers over the Internet.

Local networks may be cable or wireless.

If you need assistance, call in an expert from  

What is Google?

Google does Internet searches.

Google is the world's largest search engine.

Google is widely recognized as the "World's Best Search Engine" and is fast, accurate and easy to use.

Google does searches daily for more than 150 million people.

Google searches look at more than 2 billion web pages.

http://www.Google.com.au is one of the 10 most popular sites on the Internet.

A Google user might be a woman in Glenelg trying to find a golf course. Or a guy in Collingwood looking for the latest football scores. Or maybe a computer user in Ultimo looking for Computer Support.

Google provides an answer to a search word or words that is unique to the user and uniquely useful.

Google search answer are quick and guaranteed to be relevant and clear.

Google works because it relies on the millions of individuals posting web sites to determine which other sites offer content of value.

Google ranks every web page using a PageRank which evaluates all of the sites linking to a web page and assigns them a value, based in part on the sites linking to them.

Google may be the only company in the world whose stated goal is to have users leave its web site as quickly as possible.

Google employs thousands of linked PCs - one of the world's largest Linux clusters - to quickly find each query's answer.

"Googol" is the mathematical term for 1 followed by 100 zeros. It's a very large number.

Using Your Computer For Bookkeeping

Love it or hate it, if you are in business you need to keep good records and Computers make this task so much easier.

You need to know if you are making a profit, breaking even or 'losing the shirt off your back' and you will need to have this information to comply with the requirements of the taxman. Good accounting software is available to help you with this. You can enter all your sales information as well as what you spend and the computer will print an easy to read summary of your financial situation ? with comparison to last week, last month, last year, percentage comparisons and the like.

If you allow credit, you need to keep track of what your customers have bought, what payments they have made and if any are outstanding. A computer system can quickly generate weekly, bi-weekly or monthly statements of account to be sent to all customers with money owing. Do not ignore customers who are slow payers. If a payment is not received, then your computer can generate reminder letters. Using your computer is an efficient and time saving way to manage this situation and ensure that you are not left with a large number of bad debts.

You should know exactly what you owe and when the bills need to be paid. Moreover, you need to make sure that you do not overpay a supplier, or pay them twice and you need to have an accurate knowledge of what money is in the bank so you can be sure that there is enough to cover what is owed. A computerized accounts payable (creditors) allows you to keep close track on payments, take advantage of customer discounts, and to produce management reports that show the current period purchases compared to previous period.

If you have employees, then it brings with it a number of obligations including recording wages paid, calculation of taxes to be withheld, and reporting to various government bodies. Computers with a good payroll program can make this task easier than you could imagine. Accurate pay slips can be produced for employees, direct banking of wages can be arranged, reports as required by government regulations are printed automatically from a computer system.

The rewards of good bookkeeping ? good management information, clear understanding of the condition of your business, and accurate data for your tax return ? make it one of the most important of your tasks. Computers are an excellent tool for the job.

If you need assistance, call in an expert from  

Looking After Your Computer

Make sure all your data files, customization files, Registry, and application configuration files are backed up. Don't just do it once--make it a regular habit.

Make sure you have up-to-date Windows startup disks (Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Startup Disk). Be sure to have copies of all your device drivers handy as well.

Store your user names and passwords on paper and keep them somewhere safe. If you forget your Windows password, having it in a file on your PC won't help you.

The Windows Registry is not something to be fooled with unless you have some experience using it already. Careful not to stray from the task at hand or you'll risk severely damaging your system.

Partition your hard disk. Put your data files on a separate volume from your operating system and programs. Put a copy of your operating system on a separate hard disk as well: It will make backups and re-installation of software much easier.

Paste a copy of each program's serial number to its CD jewel case, or use a permanent marker to write the number on the CD itself (on the label side!).

If you're on a network, keep a copy of all your network settings (IP address, DNS, gateway, network card settings, and so on) handy.

If it ain 't broke, don't fix it. If you have no compelling reason to open the case or upgrade your operating system or applications, don't.

If you need assistance, call in an expert from  

A Tip for Using Word

"How to save yourself having to type words that you use often."

Word can remember certain words and will then type them in for you.
Words such as:

Yours faithfully
Our phone number is 08 83338333
Norwood Cycling Club
etc...
To teach Word to remember your list of regularly used and miss-typed words:-

From the menu bar in Word select Tools.

Then from the drop down list select Auto correct.

Look for the Auto text tab and click on it.

In the box below the line Enter Auto text entries here select the word you want, or:-

Type in the word you want and then Press the Add button.

That is it.

Now when you start to type in the first few letters, Word will recognize it and a little box will appear displaying your word.

Press the Return key and the total word will be automatically typed in.

If you need assistance, call in an expert from  

Sitting at Your Computer

Maintain proper posture.

Pay careful attention to positioning of head, neck/spine, arms/wrists, hips/thighs and feet. Basically, ensure the small of your back is supported, your shoulders relaxed (not slumped, not elevated), and that there is no pressure under your thighs.

Alternate between different postures on a regular basis.

When keyboarding, use minimum force while striking the keys.

Keep a neutral position, where the forearms, wrists and hands are in a straight line.

Avoid awkward reaching for work tools such as telephone, mouse and reference materials.

Avoid resting elbows, forearms or wrists on hard surfaces or sharp edges.

Take frequent mini-breaks throughout the day to give muscles and joints a chance to rest and recover.

Alternate between work activities which use different muscle groups to avoid overuse.

Give eyes a break by closing them momentarily, gazing at a distant object and blinking frequently.

Proper exercises are a complement to a complete office ergonomics program.