IN THIS CHAPTER
Understanding PC problems Examining software changes Reviewing hardware issues Itâs sudden, unexpected, and unwelcome. Itâs PC trouble, and it sneaks up like the dawn. Unlike the sun, however, technology issues hardly warm up your day with welcome sunshine. No, the dread-and-foreboding that comes with computer woe is a splash of cold water, a pebble in your shoe, and a long-term visit from an unwelcome guest all rolled into one.
You canât avoid computer woe, but you can prepare for its eventual arrival. You can also become familiar with the core cause of digital distress. The more you know about why things go wrong, the better you can prepare yourself for the inevitable.
The Root of All PC Trouble
The cause of nearly all PC trouble is rooted in one thing: change.
Computers foul up because something has changed. It could be something you did, such as modify a setting, uncover a software bug, run a malicious program, or experience any of several items that all qualify as âchange.â Even time itself is an agent of change, in that PC hardware gets old, eventually wears out, and fails.
The goal isnât to avoid change, but rather to be aware of its consequences. The process of troubleshooting becomes easier when you realize that something you just did, intentional or not, might have triggered a problem.
Whatâs Changed?
No, itâs not your fault that something changed. Computers are designed to be flexible. Rather than blame yourself when trouble arises, just recall what changed. When you do, you make it easier to troubleshoot and find the source of whatâs going wrong.
For example, you install a new keyboard and the mouse doesnât work. Perhaps you unplugged the mouse instead of the old keyboard? You update a graphics driver, but now all your computer games are reset to low resolution. The point is to be aware of what youâve just done, to see how it relates to the current problem.
To help you discover what changed, or what might have caused recent issues, ask yourself, âWhat did I just do?â Specifically, did you recently or just now
- Install new software?
- Add new hardware?
- Change a setting?
Think hard! Thatâs because you do a lot with your computer and sometimes you do several things at once. For example, a dialog box may feature multiple settings but only one OK button. All the settings are applied instantly with a mouse-click. Undoing the change requires that you recall which changes you just made.
Windows keeps track of all system activities, including those that cause woe. See Book 3,
Chapter 8 for information on the Event Viewer, which lets you peruse system logs for signs of trouble.
Installing software
Software covers the gamut, from the PCâs operating system to programs you install. It also includes the software that controls specific pieces of hardware, which are referred to as drivers.
The best way to avoid issues caused by installing new software is to create a restore point. This way, should problems arise, you can uninstall the software and use the restore point to recover the systemâs previous configuration.
- The good news: Windows automatically creates a restore point whenever you install new software.
- The bad news: Some older programs may not prompt Windows to create a restore point. And, when you modify settings, a restore point isnât created.
- Refer to Book 3, Chapter 5 for details on System Restore. That chapter explains how to manually set a restore point and how to use the System Restore utility to recover from software installation boo-boos.
Adding or removing hardware
Major hardware changes most definitely affect a computer system. Further, keep in mind that when you attach or remove a USB device, youâre also adding and removing hardware. This process may trigger an issue that can occur right away or surface later, but the hardware change is probably the source.
- Create a restore point before you make hardware changes. Unlike with software installation, you must manually create a restore point before installing new hardware. Refer to Book 3, Chapter 5.
- The quick fix for bad hardware is to remove it. Sometimes, detaching the bum device fixes the problem, and sometimes not. If software (driver) was installed when you attached the hardware, the software must be uninstalled as well.
- Ensure that you read the hardware installation directions (or flimsy pamphlet) before you install the device. The directions describe which to install first â the device or its special software. Sometimes, new hardware screws up because you omit that step.
- If hardware is going to fail, it usually does so within 30 days of installation, which is why most hardware warranties are for 90 days or fewer. In my experience, hardware that fails generally does so within 72 hours.
- A power supply (hardware) might fail when overloaded, which goes against the hardware-fails-quickly rule. See Book 2, Chapter 4 for details on the power supply.
- Unlike software errors, which are consistent, hardware problems can be intermittent. See the later section âHardware-versus-Software Problems.â
Changing settings
If youâre like me, you might change settings so often that you forget you do it. The settings can be subtle, from accessing a new Wi-Fi network to changing the screen resolution. Anytime you change a setting, you alter the computerâs behavior, which can lead to something unusual or unexpected happening.
Most importantly, be on the lookout for User Account Control (UAC) warnings. Anytime you change a setting that can affect the entire system, you see such a warning, similar to the one shown in Figure 1-1.
As long as youâre making the change, click the Yes button to proceed. If youâre unaware of why the UAC warning appears, click No. And, if you have a standard-level ...
