PC Troubleshooting Guide
Most PC problems are easy to fix. Please read this before sending in a work order since it covers some common computer problems.
Which of the following describes the problem?
Monitor is blank and displays nothing -
go to Step 2.
Monitor displays words, not the usual screen - go to
Step 6
Computer appears to be frozen - go to
Step 9
Monitor displays garbage, blue screen or odd symbols
- go to
Step 7
Mouse, Keyboard, or Printer problems - go to
Step 8
Monitor looks normal, but computer acts abnormally - go to
Step 9
Printer paper jams - go to
Step 10
Other printer problems - go to
Step 11
Network error message - go to
Step 12
INTERNET
PROBLEMS - go to
Step 13
Other problems not described above - go to
Step 15
2. Monitor is blank. This usually happens when something is unplugged, a switch is turned off, the computer is asleep, or the monitor is asleep. If the monitor is turned on and awake, there will be a little green light in the lower right hand corner of the monitor. If the light is lit, go to Step 3. If there is no green light, check the following:
 | Computer power strips plugged in and turned ON (most of them light up when on) |
| Monitor switch is turned ON |
| Move the mouse or hit the space bar to wake up the computer in case it is sleeping. Flat Screens use the "blank" screen saver to save the LCD panel for longer life. Wait 20 seconds for it to wake up. |
| Monitor power cord is plugged in both at the surge protector and at the monitor. Push the power cord in at the monitor...make sure it is in tight. |
Is the little green light on the monitor lit now?
If yes and screen is still blank, then continue to
Step 3.
If yes and screen displays something, go back to
Step 1.
If no, then go to
Step 15.
3. Monitor light lit, but monitor is blank. Check the following:
| Monitor signal cord (VGA Cable) is firmly plugged into computer. |
| Make sure that the computer is ON. If you put your hand at the rear of the computer, you should feel the fan blowing air. On most computers, there is a little green light in the upper right corner of the keyboard labeled Num Lock. If the computer is ON, this little light should be lit. |
| Make sure the computer is awake. Move the mouse and hit the space bar a few times. Wait 20 seconds for the computer to wake up. |
| Adjust brightness and contrast controls on the monitor in case a they are turned down. |
| If the monitor is still blank, and there is a light on the keyboard, then the monitor might need replacement. Go to Step 15. |
| If the monitor is still blank, and no lights flashed, then go to Step 5. |
5. The monitor is blank, but there are no lights on the keyboard. Check all switches and cables. Computer power cables sometimes look like they’re plugged in, but need to be pushed in harder to make contact. Push all the power cables into the equipment to make sure they are seated firmly. Turn the monitor off and on again. If you still get nothing on the monitor, go to Step 15.
| 6.
Monitor displays words, but not the normal
screen. What message do you see?
|
7.
Monitor displays garbage, not letters or icons.
This usually occurs when an older monitor is connected to a newer computer.
For a newer computer, turn the computer off, count to ten, and then turn the
computer back on. Once it is finished
booting, open up the Control Panel, open up the Display icon, and click on
Settings. Readjust your resolution until you are seeing your screen
correctly.
8. Mouse, Keyboard,
or Printer problems.
If the mouse, keyboard or printer do not respond at all,
go to 8A. If the mouse moves poorly,
go to 8B.
8A. The most common reason for a mouse, keyboard, or printer to stop responding is because the computer has "lost the drivers" to these pieces of equipment. Follow these steps:
--Turn off the printer
--Turn off the computer
--Turn on the printer
--Turn on the computer
These procedures do several things. (1) dumps the printing queue, (2) re-establishes communication with the printer, (3) reloads the print driver.
| If you still have MOUSE Problems --Make sure the mouse is
plugged in. Turn the mouse upside down. Make sure that the mouse is
working (light is on). For a USB mouse you may move it from one port to
another. After moving or plugging in the
mouse, you may find that you need to reboot the computer. If you can't use the mouse to access
the Start button, you can do it from the keyboard. The keyboard should have
a key that looks like a waving flag; this will bring up the start menu. If
not, while holding down the CTRL key, tap the ESC key to bring up the Start
Menu. Use the up-arrow key to move up to the Shut Down command and then hit
Enter to select it. Select Shut Down and Restart. 8B. If the mouse moves poorly, it may be dirty. Turn the mouse upside down. Clean the residue off of any part of the mouse. You do not need to reboot the computer after cleaning the mouse. If you still have mouse problems, go to Step 15. Please indicate on the repair order which type of mouse you have - Serial, PS2 or USB. |
| If you still have KEYBOARD Problems make sure the keyboard is plugged in correctly. If it is and you still have problems go to Step 15. |
| If you still have PRINTER Problems go to Step 10. |
9. Computer freezes or else the monitor looks normal but computer acts abnormal. Every computer "freezes" from time to time. This is most likely do to updates being processed or scans. Go to Step 15 for frequent freezes or other strange symptoms. Make sure to indicate which programs make the computer freeze, or if it randomly locks up.
|
Computer frozen? |
Press the Ctrl-Alt-Delete keys at the same time (called a "soft boot.") You will get a window message that identifies the tasks (Task Manager) that your computer was doing prior to freezing. One of them usually says (not responding) next to it. Highlight that one and click on End Task. You should be back in business. If not, save your work if possible and restart the computer. If the machine is locked up and does not respond to CTRL-ALT-DEL, then you may push the reset button on the computer if there is one. If not, turn the power off, count to ten, and turn the power back on. If it's not fixed, go to Step 15. When the computer boots up, it might want to do a scandisk, as it was shut down improperly. Let it!
|
Computer won't shut down? Give the computer some time. If the computer does not automatically turn off after several minutes, DO NOT hold down the On/Off button until the computer turns off. Your computer may be updating or scanning. Let the computer complete its shut down process. If for some reason the power goes out, the computer will want to do a scandisk when you turn it on the next time. Let it! |
|
Out-of-memory error message? You might receive a message saying that you are out of memory. You probably have too many programs open and there is not enough memory available for the computer to handle them. Close all programs that you are not using. This often doesn't give your system all of its memory back, but it should give you enough memory to shut down the computer and start again.
|
10. Printer Paper jams. Try fanning the paper before using it. Try using new paper. On humid days, old paper gets heavy and wet and printers have problems feeding it. Some paper is too flimsy. Printers can jam and misfeed due to gummy or misaligned rollers. If changing paper doesn't help, and it keeps jamming, go to Step 15.
11. Other printer problems. Make sure the printer is turned on and ONLINE. DeskJet printers have just one indicator light for on. Make sure it is lit. Laser printers usually have two indicator lights. One is next to the words ONLINE and must be lit in order to print. Lasers should also display the READY message if they have a display panel. Check the cables connecting the computer with the printer. Check that there is paper in the printer. Turn it off and back on again. You might have a paper jam inside the printer. Remove all paper from inside and reload paper.
PRINTER SPITTING OUT PAPER OR PRINTING "WEIRD STUFF": Turn printer OFF by holding down the power button until the printer turns off. Clear the PRINT QUEUE -- see below.
11A. Clearing the printer queue. When jobs are sent to the printer, they wait in the queue until the printer is free. When you have printer problems, it is a good idea to clear all jobs out of the queue. From the Start button, select Settings - Printers and open up the printer in question. If the window is blank, there are no queued jobs. If there are jobs present, you need to highlight them one-at-a-time and click on Document - Cancel printing for each one. It may take a minute or two to finish clearing. Once the queue is empty, print a test page from the Windows Control Panel. Close the Window you just opened. From the Start button, select Settings - Printers and this time right-click on the printer in question. In this new window, click on Print Test Page and see if the test page prints properly.
|
Trouble Printing? |
|
First, make sure that you have selected the correct printer. You will have the ability to print to several different printers at your school. Remember to always select "Print Preview" before printing. |
|
Printing Unrecognizable "trash"? |
|
First, clear the Print Buffer by
clicking on the small printer icon in the lower right hand corner of your
screen. |
|
Highlight any print jobs and click Printer, then Cancel All Documents . Wait for the buffer to clear. Then turn off printer and turn it back on again. Try printing. If this does not solve the problem, send the Maintenance Request Form |
12. Network error messages. If you are trying to save to a network server or get a message about resources not found or not in use, or if you need a password to access resources, then you need to send a work order in to Technology. Make sure to include this information: What username you logged on with, what program you were running, what resources you tried to access, which machine you tried to save on, and the error message.
13. Internet problems. If you cannot connect to the Internet, before contacting Technology, make sure that this is not a school-wide problem by checking with the office or another teacher. Occasionally, everyone in the district will lose the Internet for a few hours due to problems with equipment. **NOTE** This also means you will not be able to access network programs such as AR and GradeSpeed. Once you are sure that it is just your machine, try shutting down the computer and restarting it.
| If you are still having problems check to make sure
that you are NOT running one of the following programs all of which will
interfere with your Internet speed and access
| ||||||||||||||
| If these programs exist on your computer, you will
need to remove these programs. ( Go to Start, Control Panel,
Add/Remove Programs, Highlight the program you wish to remove and
then Click the Remove button |
If you still can't connect, please write down all error messages, if any, and go to step 15.
15. Please send in a work order from the Websote. Make sure to indicate which machine (Which room, any visible stickers, Student or Teacher computer, Location in the room) is acting up and exactly what is wrong with it. Please give as much detail as possible. Thank you for your help in keeping our computers running! Maintenance Request
16. Operating system cannot be found. Make sure that you have removed any disk from the drive before you reboot your machine. Wait 30 seconds and then turn the machine on again. If the message "OS load in progress - insert bootable media in the appropriate drive" OR "Operating System Not Found" OR "boot failure" still appears on the screen, then go to step 15.
Spill a liquid?
Immediately unplug the computer and turn it off. Turn it over to drain the liquid. Let it dry overnight. Inform the Tech Department of the mishap. Do not try and turn on the machine!
FILE ISSUES
Can't open a file?
--Are you trying to open a file that has an extension you recognize? (.doc, .xls, .jpg, .pdf, etc) or one you don't recognize?
--Are you in one program, trying to open a file created in a different program?
--Can any of your peers open the file?