Triona's Tech Tips

Since the 1980s I’ve been fixing computers that won’t start up, won’t print, or can’t find files. The Internet adds an extra level of complexity, but we’re still facing the same basic tech support problems.

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.

eWeek recently shared the ten reasons they feel Microsoft must start thinking beyond Windows and Office, and one of the most important is cloud computing. With the success of services like Google Docs and the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, the relevance of traditional computer seems to be fading. Or is it?

In cloud computing, all programs and files reside “in the cloud,” or on the Internet. This means you don’t have to spend as much in hardware, because you don’t need the processing power of a traditional computer. The same data can be accessed from any device that can surf the Web. Even if, say, your smartphone dies, you can still reach your files with another device like an iPad or a netbook.

But there are disadvantages to cloud computing, as I mentioned in a previous Tech Tips article. You don’t know where your files live nor whether they’re secure, and if your Internet or cloud computing service goes down, you’re out of luck. Users of Microsoft’s Office Live discovered this to their dismay recently, when the service went down on two occasions (here and here). As I said before, I personally don’t want to lose access to basic word processing just because some server happens to fail.

For the moment, we’re seeing a mix of both approaches. Most small businesses are continuing to use traditional approaches while exploring new technologies, and I predict that’s going to continue for a while. We’re not quite at the point where people are willing to commit their computing world to the cloud, but we’d better get ready because our world is becoming more mobile, more social, and less private than ever before.

Subscribe free to Tech Tips and receive bonus tips, tricks and product reviews. Click here to subscribe or send email to techtips-request-at-guidryconsulting-dot-com, subject “subscribe”.

Do you play when you’re supposed to be working? Here at Guidry Consulting, a day rarely goes by when I don’t manage a round of 1980s arcade games. But there are dangers in mixing work and play on your computer. Some of the things we do for fun pose risks to the security of our business data.

File sharing is of particular concern. If you use LimeWire or KaZaa to download music and video, you may be exposing files to the Internet. A terrifying InformationWeek study found everything from confidential meeting notes to internal audits and financial results available via common file-sharing networks. This is because such programs often share the entire My Documents directory by default.

How can you safely mix work and play? Ideally, use separate computers, physical or virtual. When that isn’t possible, be utterly sure your security measures are updated and effective. Share only a separate directory that is different from where you store your regular files. And stay tuned to Triona’s Tech Tips for the latest in computer news.

How do you have fun with your computer? Post a comment and let me know.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, sign up for the Tech Tips mailing list and receive future computer news direct to your email.