PC problems and their solutions by Tech Help Expert

Startup & shut down 

Too slow! – 

-Before startup: Disconnect USB devices, eject CD/DVDs first 

– Before shut down: Close all active programs, disconnect USB devices, CD/DVDs

 – Tune up Windows (remove malware, un-needed programs; run scandisk (chkdsk), defrag….) 

Cannot Shut Down/Restart 

– See above, if all else fails, then Hold Down the power button, till it powers off

 – Tune up windows 

Cannot start: - 

-the screen is black, no power in?

 – Desktop: Check power cord, I/0 switch at the back (wait for an hour or so, if overheated) 

– Laptop: take the battery out, plug in the power cord; repeat 

– All else fails, bring pc to HWSIG (Tue, 1-4pm)

My CD-DVD won’t reject! 

– Right click the CD-drive, select eject won’t work either! 

• If you are burning a CD/DVD, then you must wait till it automatically reject 

• If the burning process is crashed/frozen, then, try ctrl-alt-del, highlight the CD-burning program, and end it 

• IF ALL ELSE FAILS:  

Re-start PC (might have to manually power it off), at booting up, BEFORE booting to Windows, press the CD-ROM’s eject button, take out the CD quickly

Windows Media Player has no sound:

• Check Speaker connection/connector; power, volume

• Open various other music players, e.g.,

RealPlayer, QuickTime, and make sure all the volume is NOT “Muted”

Tech Help Expert

Lost Broadband Internet connection

1. Right-click the “Internet Network Connection” icon in the SysTray (- right-bottom corner of Windows

Taskbar), click “Repair” or “Diagnose and Repair”, or

2. Click Start/Run/cmd; type ipconfig/release all; ipconfig /renew all

3. In Win ME, Start/Run/winipcfg

4. Restart PC

5. If all else fails, try the following:

• Disconnect the power cord of the cable, or DSL Modem (- remove battery pack, if there is

any), wait for 1 to 1 min

• Plug back in the power cord, wait for 1 to 2 min. See if that works.

• If you have also a “Wireless Router”, remove its power cord, too, along with power cord of the cable/DSL modem. Wait for 1 to 2 min, plug back the cable/DSL modem first, wait for 1-2 min; then plug back the power cord of the Wireless Router, wait for 1-2 min.

• Cross your fingers (both hands). If that does not work, reboot pc.

• If it is still NOT working, then repeat the power cord disconnect ritual

• Anything more serious:

Lost dial-up internet connection

1. Try restart PC

2. Try use system restore to go back to an earlier date

3. Check modem status

• Control Panel: Phones and modems options

• Click the modem tab

• Click “Properties”, click Diagnostics

• Click Query Modem, if it comes back with a table of lines and numbers, the modem itself is function

(does NOT mean its physical connection is working, however)

• Click the “Driver’ tab, try rollback, update (better to have Modem CD with driver)

4. Re-install TCP/IP

• Locate the dialup dialer icon - Go to Start/Network connections

• Right click the dialup connector,

Missing “Quick Launch” option in taskbar’s menu

– Go to C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\quick launch

– Delete the the “Quick launch” folder, reboot your pc.

Missing “Search” and “Run”

– Right Click Start\Properties

– Click “Start Menu”, Customize; Check proper boxes to display desired items

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