1. Your computer won’t start up.
There are three possibilities: your computer isn’t getting any power, it can’t find the hard drive, or there’s something wrong with your system software. The latter is by far the most common, and may be the result of a virus, a program conflict, or just bad luck.

First, try powering your computer down. If it doesn’t start up, follow the prompts on the screen. But don’t expect your PC to work properly in Safe Mode, which is meant as a diagnostic tool only. Once you’re in you need to find what caused the error and fix it. Likely suspects are new programs or devices. Run your virus scanner not just once, but several times. If your startup failure is caused by a virus you may need a tool like Malwarebytes to get rid of it completely. Reboot several times to make sure things are working, and make an immediate backup (but don’t overwrite the old one in case you still need it).

2. You can’t print.
Once again, three possibilities: the printer has no power, it’s not connected to the computer, or there’s a software error. Let’s assume you’ve tried rebooting and you’ve checked the cables. If you’ve printed successfully in the past, then it’s probably a problem with the software or file. Try a different file as well as a different program. You can look up any error messages or misbehavior on the printer’s support site. As a last resort you can unplug your printer, remove its software, and reinstall according to manufacturer instructions.

3. Your data is missing.
The default directory for Windows XP files is My Documents. In Vista and Windows 7 it’s Documents, as it is for Mac users. But this is just the default location; files can be saved almost anywhere. If your file or folder isn’t where you expect, try searching for it by name or date.

What if all your data is gone? If your desktop also looks different, you may be logged in under the wrong account. Check under the Start menu in Windows or the Apple menu on a Mac to see your login name.

In the previous case the data was simply misplaced. What if it really is gone? The sooner you try to recover a file, the better your chances of success, although it’s far easier to recover from a backup. In truly grim situations you might have to send your drive to a data recovery service.

4. You can’t get on the Internet.
Sometimes it’s not your Internet connection, just one specific program. But if none of your Internet applications are working and a reboot doesn’t help, it’s time for some diagnostics.

First, check your cables and the lights on our router and/or DSL modem. As I explained in a previous article, you should familiarize yourself with what “normal” looks like for your setup so you know what “not normal” looks like. Power everything off and back on, wait a few moments, and try again.

If it’s a wireless problem you may be able to connect with a wire, and this is a good way to determine if it’s just the wireless or the whole network.

5. You can’t open an attachment.
This almost always means your computer doesn’t know which program to use. You should be able to open anything with a common file type: TXT, DOC, PDF, JPG. But you might receive an attachment created in a program you don’t have. One common example of this is receiving a DOCX file, the new Word format that replaced DOC. If you can’t open DOCX files you either need a plug-in for your word processing program (typically free to download) or the person who created the file needs to resave as DOC.

Once you get the hang of common tech support problems, they waste less of your time.

My two favorite tools are CCleaner for Windows and Snow Leopard Cache Cleaner for Mac (which, despite the name, also works on previous versions of the Mac OS as well). I’m particularly fond of these programs because they work by giving you a convenient way to run the tools already built into your Windows or Mac computer. That makes them safe and reliable.

Of course, before you run any utility that might change your computer system, you should always make at least one backup (preferably two or three to different backup devices). These cleaning programs don’t run all the time like your antivirus software, but you can run them whenever you think your computer might be getting a little slow.

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The very first thing you should do is install a good security program. As I’ve mentioned, the freebies are no longer enough. You need a robust software suite that includes antivirus, anti-spyware and a firewall. See here for my antivirus recommendations for Windows and Mac.

Next, make sure your computer software is updated to the latest version. Even out of the box, there may be new updates available. For Windows computers, visit update.microsoft.com. Mac users should run Software Updates under the Apple menu.

Windows users should strongly consider installing a browser other than Internet Explorer, such as Mozilla Firefox. You can still use Internet Explorer if you have to, but the alternate should be your default. This will help keep you safe from viruses and spyware.

While you’re setting up your new computer, configure backups at the same time. You can use an external hard drive (most come with automatic backup software) or choose an online option. See here for more information on backups.

Don’t forget to fill out the warranty card for your new computer. Should you buy the extended warranty? That’s up to you. Personally I don’t think it makes sense to spend a lot of money on a warranty for a computer that cost less than $500, but I’d want to protect a more expensive investment.

And, finally, have fun with your new computer!

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1) Critical resources
What are your most important resources, and which ones can you do without in a crisis?

2) Backups
What is your backup strategy? Where are your off-site backups located? Do you test your backups to make sure they are valid?

3) Inventory
Do you have a complete and current list of all hardware and software, including serial numbers and documentation?

4) Network and Internet
Do you understand the layout of your network? What is the impact if your connection goes down? Consider alternate options for use in the event of an emergency.

5) Remote Access
Can you work from somewhere other than your primary location? What resources would you need to do so? Evaluate various options to find one that works best for you.

6) Security
What would you do if you had a security incident, such as a virus infection, loss of data, or identity theft? Develop a plan, including resources that can help you.

7) Fire Drills
Test your strategies to verify that they will work in a real-world situation.

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1) Buy an external hard drive
Many external drives come with their own backup software and are simple to set up. You can get one terabyte (that’s 1,024 gigabytes, or about 256 DVDs’ worth) of storage for around $100-120. If you have a lot of pictures or music, this is your most cost-effective solution.

2) Use an old computer
What good is that ten-year-old computer? If it’s still functional and has a large enough hard drive, you could turn it into a dedicated backup station. You may not be able to back up your entire computer to it, but you will probably have enough room for basic documents. You’ll need to network it to your existing computer and share files between them.

3) Burn it to disc
Almost all computers these days have writable CD drives. Many newer computers also have DVD burners. The media is inexpensive and stores well over long periods. It’s easy to create duplicate backups for off-site storage.

4) Use a flash (USB) drive
Flash drives are inexpensive and portable. However, their long-term storage abilities have not been tested because the technology is relatively new.

5) Use an online storage service
These services are often inexpensive, but are not available if your Internet connection goes down. Security may also be a question.

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Most software has an option called “destination” or “target,” where the recovered data is to be saved. If you select that option you can redirect the data to another location. You may want to create a special folder ahead of time for the restored data. Then you can compare it to the original. As I said in the article, don’t just check file names; try opening each kind of file you use (say, one Word file, one Excel file, and so on). If you don’t have a solid backup strategy, including off-site storage in case of a disaster, all your hard work could be lost.

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A NAS is a unit containing one or more hard drives with a network jack. The biggest advantage of a NAS is that it is much less expensive than a server. Instead of spending thousands of dollars for the hardware and software needed to run, say, Window Server, you can spend mere hundreds for one terabyte (that’s 1,024GB, or about 728,000 floppy disks!) of storage capacity. And the device is barely the size of a shoebox.

The key to NAS is its redundancy. NAS writes your data across multiple hard drives using a technology called RAID. The drives are hot-swap, meaning you can replace them while the unit is running. You can also add additional storage capacity simply by sliding in a new drive.

NAS is cross-platform. If you work with both PCs and Macs, you can connect both easily and conveniently to the NAS. You can set up file shares, users and groups on a NAS, just as you would on a server. Some come with built-in backup software. Configuration is done through a simple web interface.

NAS is a terrific server replacement for any small business or home office in need of centralized storage at low cost.

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The number-one rule of tech support is: When in doubt, reboot! Turning your computer off and back on will give better results than simply restarting. I also recommend you shut down your computer overnight, unless you need to leave it on for backups. This gives your computer a cool-down period and less opportunity to confuse itself.

Keeping your desktop clean will help maximize memory. The more files you store on the desktop, the more memory they will consume. Maintaining your computer’s security protections and junking spam are other ways you can reduce the possibility of computer problems.

SPECIAL GIFT: If you subscribe to the Tech Tips email list between now and October 14th, 2009, I’ll send you a free tip sheet (PDF) offering more details on how to keep your computer in shape.

And if you’re interested, I’ll be teaching a class on Computer Housekeeping for the Cary (Illinois) Park District on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 9:30am-11:30am. You can find registration details on my web site. I hope to see you there!

In October we’ll talk about What To Do If You Get A Computer Virus. If you have any computer questions, let me know.

Corporations often use disaster recovery services, but how can low-budget users provide disaster recovery? It’s not enough to copy your files to a disk that sits right next to your computer – what if, heaven forbid, the whole place goes? Redundant backups are those written to more than one medium, like archiving to CD as well as an external hard drive. And you’ll want to keep at least one of those copies at an offsite location (such as a safety-deposit box or a friend or relative’s house).

Let’s say the unthinkable happens, and you’re standing there holding your backup with no computer to put it on. This is why it’s important for your backups to be easy to move to another computer. External hard drives and USB (aka thumb or flash) drives are great because they work almost anywhere. Same for burning to CD-R disks, but be aware not all CD drives can read CD-RW disks. If you use backup software, keep a copy of the install disk, serial number, manual and tech support phone number with your offsite backup. Also include a full list of your computer components: model and serial numbers, version of Windows or Mac OS, types of printers or other equipment. A list of your vital software programs with versions and serial numbers is good, too, and may also help your insurer.

How do you plan for disaster recovery? Post a comment and let me know.

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