INTRODUCTION TO PC REPAIR

PC Repair
Computer repair specialize in troubleshooting, servicing and repairing a wide variety of
hardware and software-related personal computer issues and computer network
problems.

Issues that typically require computer repair include failed hardware components,
software bugs, driver incompatibilities, spyware and malware problems, network
connectivity problems, operating system upgrades, and complete computer overhauls.

Different PC Parts

 Hardware
Computer hardware is any physical device, something that you are able to touch.
o Input Devices is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment)
used to provide data and control signals to an information processing
system such as a computer.
o Output Devices is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to
communicate the results of data processing carried out by a computer to
the outside world.

 Software
Software is a collection of instructions and code installed into the computer and
cannot be touched.

Types of Memory

RAM

RAM is short for Random Access Memory, RAM, also known as primary memory or
system memory, the memory available to programs. For example, a computer with
8MB RAM has approximately 8 million bytes of memory that programs can use. Unlike
ROM, RAM is a volatile memory and requires power to store data.

ROM

ROM (read-only memory) refers to special memory used to store programs. Unlike main
memory (RAM), ROM retains its contents even when the computer is turned off. ROM is
referred to as being nonvolatile, whereas RAM is volatile.

What Is The Motherboard Main Goal?

The main goal is to connect all the hardware together like hard drives, memory
modules, CPU, etc...

The Processor Socket

Is the home for the Central Processor Unit (CPU).

Memory Slots

Memory slots also call memory banks are for Random Access Memory modules (RAM).

Main Power Connector And The 4 Pins Connector

The main power connector is uses to get the electric energy from the power supply
which the motherboard require to function properly.

24 Pins Main Power Connector

IDE, ATA And S-ATA Interface Connectors

The IDE/Advance Technology Attachment (ATA) interface is used to connect hard drives
and optic drives.

Modern computer mother boards have the new interface called Serial Advance
Technology Attachment (S-ATA).

Floppy Drive Connector

Floppy Drive Connector 

32 bit PCI Slots, AGP And PCIe

32 bit slots Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) are used to install sound cards,
graphic cards, Ethernet cards and modems.

The motherboard parts Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and PCI Epress (PCIe) focus on
graphic cards only.

Back Panel Connectors

Are used to plug the mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer, sound system and any other
peripherals you may have.

Central processing unit (CPU)/Processor is an electronic circuit that executes computer

programs.

Northbridge

An integrated circuit (generally Intel or VIA) that is responsible for the communications
between the CPU interface, AGP, PCI and the memory.

Southbridge

An integrated circuit ( generally Intel or VIA ) on the motherboard that is responsible for
the hard disk drive controller, I/O controller and integrated hardware such as sound
card or video card if present on the motherboard.
 The North Bridge is typically
the larger chip that always
has a heat sink attached with
it and the South Bridge is the
smaller one.

Simple PC Repair Tools

Standard Screwdrivers: (non-magnetic)

Premium-quality screwdrivers of assorted sizes and also one with various shaft lengths
are indispensable tools in any computer repair technician's arsenal. Screwdrivers with
different sized flat-head are also essential; however, make sure not to use magnetic
screwdrivers inside computers.

Cable testers
Tester for most types of cables used with a computer. While there are other ways to
test cables, such as swapping them with known good cables, cable tester save time and
trouble.

USB network adapter

A computer repair technician should have a USB network

adapter in his took kit to facilitate easy network access on a
computer that has USB ports, but is devoid of any internal
network adapter.

Data-recovery software

Is one of the most important tool in computer repair technician's toolkit; data recovery
software can help recover data from damaged hard drives. (GetDataBack Software)

Boot Disk

A boot disk is a removable digital data storage medium from which a computer can load
and run (boot) an operating system or utility program.

Boot disks are used for:

 Operating system installation.

 Data recovery.
 Data purging.
 Hardware or software troubleshooting.
 Running a Live Operating System using a CD/DVD

While almost all modern computers can boot from a hard drive containing the operating
system and other software, they would not normally be called boot disks. Floppy disks
and CD-ROMs are the most common forms of media used, but other media, such as
magnetic or paper tape drives, zip drives, and more recently USB flash drives can be
used. The computer's BIOS must support booting from the device in question.

Driver Pack
DriverPack is a package of drivers for a particular category of
hardware. There are for example DriverPacks for Sound
devices and for Graphics devices.
External Optical Drive
External optical drive is typically has the same function as optical drive but has higher
portability rate. External optical drive most uses USB slot so that it can interface in every
personal computer.
External Hard Drive
External Hardisk Drives are portable HDD which uses the Universal Serial Bus to
interface to a computer.

CABLES USED IN COMPUTER

Floppy Drive, CD DVD Drive and Hard Drive Cables (flat ribbon cable)

There are 2 types of drives cables. The ATA or PATA (Parallel ATA) for hard and optic
drives and the inverted ways ribbon for floppy drives.

The standard drive ribbon has been the first to hit the market along with the floppy
drive ribbon.

The ribbon cables are the only one that received support improvements over the years
improving data storage and data's transfer rates for newer hard drives.

ATA/PATA

Composition

Each ATA ribbon cable has a flexible plastic ribbon that contains the wires where there is
2 or 3 connectors that are fixed to it. 1 connector to each extremity and 1 connector
close to the master connector if it is a cable with 3 connectors.

You should be able to find 18 inches and 36 inches cables in computer stores. The 18
inches is mostly the only one used and the 36 inches are more used for special reasons.

Computer Ribbon Cable Also Called IDE Cable

The Ribbon, 40 And 80 Wires

At the beginning all ribbon cables were being made of 40 wires and were supporting a
certain range of standards. Nowadays, there are cables of 80 wires and they are
supporting higher standards.

Note for both, only connectors with 40 pins are used.

The cables with 80 wires are made of 40 grounds that are interleaved with the other 40
wires. This way all previous 40 wires are grounded.

The Connectors, Master And Slave

Ribbon cables are made of 1 or 2 connectors for drives. With 1 connector, only a drive
sets to master can be attached to the cable. But with 2 connectors, 1 drive must be set
to master and the other set to slave. You can also use a cable with 2 connectors to plug
only 1 drive, in that case you have to set the drive to master and use the master
connector only, otherwise it will not work at all.

Inverted Ways Ribbon

The floppy drive ribbon is easily recognized by its inverted ways. Beside its inverted
ways, it has the same configuration as the standard drive ribbon above except that it
does not fit in an ATA bus on the motherboard.

3.5' floppy drives as we know them today, the ribbon cable has never changed, no
improvement at all.

Inverted ways ribbon

SATA

SATA is short for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment. The SATA interface is a design
for transferring data among storage devices like hard drives and optic drives.

In comparison with the ATA interface, the SATA offers a faster transfer rate with
features and improvements we will see throughout the guide.
 SATA Connector

Features and Improvements

The interesting thing with the SATA is the new cable that uses only 7 wires. With only 7
wires the cable is thin and permits a better airflow inside the computer case. The older
cables used for ATA interface were cutting the airflow with their large ribbons and were
frustrating to manipulate.

With the SATA it is as easy as plug here and plug there. No cable twisting problems like
the ATA.

Another interesting feature from SATA interface is the possibility to hot swapping. It
means, you can plug or unplug hardware without having to reboot the computer. This
feature has been taken from the USB technology that already makes the use of
swapping.

SATA 1 and SATA 2 Standards

The SATA 1 named SATA 150, offers a bandwidth of 1.5 Gbit/s. In comparison with the
ATA/133, it was a slight advantage. The first SATA generation was more used for its
features than its bandwidth.

The SATA 2 called SATA 300 is the new generation working at the rate of 3 Gbit/s. It is
more than twice than the ATA rate. With a frequency like this you can finally feel the
difference between the 2 technologies.

The SATA 3 is on the way and will offer a bandwidth of 6 Gbit/s. The ability of using
more than 1 drives by cables should appear on the 3rd generation.

Compatibility

The ATA and The SATA are not compatible. You cannot plug a SATA drive in the ATA
interface. This says, I heard there are hybrid hard drives supporting both technologies.
This is only a speculation, I did not investigate to see if they exist.
On the other hand, SATA 1 and SATA 2 are backward and forward compatible. If your
motherboard does not support the SATA 300, a PCI extension card for SATA should do
the trick.

Another way for adding more compatibility has been introduced by hard drive's
manufacturers. A jumper on SATA 2 hard drives can be set to force the drive to run
under SATA 1.

Serial-ATA Hard Drive Cable

This SATA cable marks the end of ribbons. More and more computers are built with the
SATA interface. You can expect a fast disappearance of ribbon cables. 

USB Cable and Firewire Cable

Firewire and USB are both a serial bus interface standard. The Firewire interface is
better than the USB at a certain point, but nothing to be scare of. It is not a big lost for
us PC users.

USB Computer Cable

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is the design answer to Apple Firewire. The USB interface
fixed a major problem in PC computers.

In the early days, PC computers were not built with lot of hardware, enabling the use of
serial or parallel peripherals without hardware's addressing problems. But nowadays we
use several peripherals and this cause conflicts addressing among peripherals and other
hardware.

You can use USB cables to connect most new devices to your computer including flash
memory sticks, portable media players, internet modems and digital cameras.
Computer accessories like mice, keyboards, webcams, portable hard-drives,
microphones, printers, scanners and speakers can also be connected to the computer
through USB ports. Additionally, USB cables are also used for charging a variety of
gadgets including mobile phones or for transferring data from one computer to another.

 USB 1.0: Released in January 1996.

Specified data rates of 1.5 Mbit/s (Low-Bandwidth) and 12 Mbit/s (Full-Bandwidth).
Does not allow for extension cables or pass-through monitors (due to timing and
power limitations). Few such devices actually made it to market.
 USB 1.1: Released in September 1998.
Fixed problems identified in 1.0, mostly relating to hubs. Earliest revision to be
widely adopted.
 USB 2.0: Released in April 2000.
Added higher maximum bandwidth of 480 Mbit/s (60 MB/s) (now called "Hi-
Speed"). Further modifications to the USB specification have been done via
Engineering Change Notices (ECN).

The IEEE 1394 interface(FireWire) is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed
communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal
computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video and automotive with data transfer
speeds up to 400 Mbps (megabits per second). The interface is also known by the brand
names of FireWire (Apple), i.LINK (Sony), and Lynx (Texas Instruments). FireWire is also
available in wireless, fiber optic, and coaxial versions using the isochronous protocols.

VGA

One of the most common video connectors for computer monitors and high-definition
TVs is the VGA cable. A standard VGA connector has 15-pins and other than connecting
a computer to a monitor, you may also use a VGA cable to connect your laptop to a TV
screen or a projector.

Converter cables are lso available to let VGA monitors connect to newer computers that
only output HDMI or DVI signals. A smaller variant of VGA, Mini-VGA, is available on
some laptops but with the help of a converter, you can connect any standard VGA
monitor to a Mini-VGA port of your laptop.

DVI Monitor Port

If you have purchased a computer in the recent past,

chances are that it uses DVI instead of VGA. The new
breed of "thin" laptops use the smaller variants of DVI
like the Mini-DVI and Micro-DVI (first seen in MacBook
Air).

A DVI cable has 29 pins, though some connectors may

have less pins depending on their configuration. DVI’s video signal is compatible with
HDMI, so a simple converter can allow a DVI monitor to receive input from an HDMI
cable.

Additionally, DVI to VGA converters are also available for connect your new graphics
card to old monitor that supports only VGA mode.

S-Video

S-Video cables, otherwise known as Separate Video or Super Video cables, carry analog
video signals and are commonly used for connecting DVD players, camcorders, older
video consoles to the television.

Standard S-Video connectors are round in shape and may have anywhere between 4-9
pins.

6. Networking Related Cables

6.1 - Phone RJ11 Cable

The telephone cable, otherwise known as RJ11, is still used

around the world for connecting to the Internet through
DSL/ADSL modems. A standard phone cable has 4 wires and
the connector has four pins.

The connector has a clip at the top to help maintain a tight connection.
6.2 - Ethernet Cable

Ethernet is the standard for wired networking around the

world. The Ethernet cable, otherwise known as RJ45, is based
on Cat5 twisted pair cable and is made from 8 individual wires.

The Ethernet connector, likewise, has 8 pins and looks similar to a phone plug, but is
actually thicker and wider. It too has a clip to help maintain a tight connection like a
phone connector.

6.3 - Coaxial Cable

A type of wire that consists of a center wire surrounded by

insulation and then a grounded shield of braided wire. The shield
minimizes electrical and radio frequency interference.

Coaxial cabling is the primary type of cabling used by the cable

television industry and is also widely used for computer networks,
such as Ethernet. Although more expensive than standard
telephone wire, it is much less susceptible to interference and can
carry much more data.

6.4 - Fiber Optics

A technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads (fibers) to
transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass
threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages
modulated onto light waves.

OHS (Occupational Health and Safety Procedures)

The following are the examples of OHS that is related to computer hardware
servicing.
1. Contingency measures during workplace accidents, fire and other emergencies are
recognized.
2. Personal protective equipment are correctly used in accordance with organization
OHS procedures and practices.
3. Hazard/risks in the workplace and their corresponding indicators are identified to
minimize or eliminate risk to co-workers, workplace and environment.
4. Always discharge body’s static charge before touching any part of the computer.
5. Be careful with tools that may cause short circuit.
 6. Take off any metal objects on your arms or fingers such as bracelets, rings or
watches.
7. Wear rubber sole shoes when standing on the ground or in a concrete floor. 
8. Fully shut down and unplug the computer before you make any attempts to
disassemble the tower.
9. Replace only fuses with those proper rating.
10. Hold the components by the edges and do not touch the IC’s. 
11. Read and follow instructions on the manual carefully.
12. Do not use excessive force if things don’t quite slip into place
13. Make sure your hands are completely dry to avoid damaging any mechanical parts as
well as to avoid electrocution.

Three most damaging things to a computer:

1. Moisture (sweat, drinking water),

2. Shock (electric or from being dropped)

3. Dust (any debris from household dust to bits of food).

BIOS
Short for Basic Input/Output System, the BIOS, ROM BIOS,
or System BIOS is a chip located on all motherboards that
contain instructions and setup for how your system should
boot and how it operates. In the picture to the right, is an
example of what a BIOS chip may look like on your computer
motherboard.

The BIOS includes instructions on how to load basic

computer hardware and includes a test referred to as a POST
(Power On Self Test) that helps verify the computer meets requirements to boot up properly. If
the computer does not pass the POST, you will receive a combination of beeps indicating what is
malfunctioning within the computer.

Three major brands of BIOS chip

1. AWARD BIOS
2. IBM BIOS
3. AMI BIOS

In most PCs, the BIOS has 4 main functions as mentioned below.

1. POST - Test the computer hardware and make no errors exist before loading the
operating system.
2. Bootstrap Loader - Locate the operating system. If a capable operating system is
located, the BIOS will pass control to it.
3. BIOS drivers - Low level drivers that give the computer basic operational control
over your computer's hardware.
 4. BIOS or CMOS Setup - Configuration program that allows you to configure
hardware settings including system settings such as computer passwords, time,
and date.

POST ABCs
The computer power-on self-test (POST) tests the computer to make sure it meets the necessary
system requirements and that all hardware is working properly before starting the remainder of
the boot process. If the computer passes the POST the computer will have a single beep ( with
some computer BIOS manufacturers it may beep twice) as the computer starts and the computer
will continue to start normally. However, if the computer fails the POST, the computer will
either not beep at all or will generate a beep code, which tells the user the source of the
problem.

BEEP CODES
A beep code is the audio signal given out by a computer to announce the result of a short
diagnostic testing sequence the computer performs when first powering up (called the
Power-On-Self-Test or POST).
Each of the three major BIOS brands has its own error code.

AMI BIOS beep codes (American Megatrends Inc.)

Beep Code Descriptions
1 short DRAM refresh failure
2 short Parity circuit failure
3 short Base 64K RAM failure
4 short System timer failure
5 short Process failure
6 short Keyboard controller Gate A20 error
7 short Virtual mode exception error
8 short Display memory Read/Write test failure
9 short ROM BIOS checksum failure
10 short CMOS shutdown Read/Write error
11 short Cache Memory error
1 long, 3 short Conventional/Extended memory failure
1 long, 8 short Display/Retrace test failed

IBM BIOS beep codes

Beep Code Description
No Beeps No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
1 Short Beep Normal POST, computer is ok.
2 Short Beep POST error, review screen for error code.
Continuous Beep No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
Repeating Short Beep No Power, Loose Card, or Short.
One Long and one Short Beep Motherboard issue.
One Long and Two Short Beeps Video (Mono/CGA Display Circuitry) issue.
One Long and Three Short Beeps. Video (EGA) Display Circuitry.
Three Long Beeps Keyboard or Keyboard card error.
One Beep, Blank or Incorrect Display Video Display Circuitry.
Tree short Beep RAM Problem

AWARD BIOS beep codes

Beep Code Description
1 long, 2 Indicates a video error has occurred and the BIOS cannot initialize the
short video screen to display any additional information
Any other RAM problem.
beep(s)

CMOS
Alternatively referred to as a Real-Time Clock (RTC), Non-
Volatile RAM (NVRAM) or CMOS RAM, CMOS is short for
Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. CMOS is an
on-board semiconductor chip powered by a CMOS battery
inside computers that stores information such as the system time
and date and the system hardware settings for your computer. A
CMOS is similar to the Apple Macintosh computer's PRAM. In
the picture to the right, is an image of a CMOS battery on a
IBM compatible computers motherboard and the most common
CMOS battery you're likely to encounter with your computer.

In the bottom right picture, are examples of batteries that may

be used in a computer to power the CMOS memory. As
mentioned above the most common battery is the coin cell
battery (lithium battery), usually about the size of a U.S. Nickel.

The standard lifetime of a CMOS battery is around 10 Years.

However, this can vary depending on the use and environment
that the computer resides.
How to Enter the BIOS or CMOS Setup.
Because of the wide variety of computer and BIOS manufacturers over the evolution of
computers, there are numerous ways to enter the BIOS or CMOS Setup. Below is a
listing of the majority of these methods as well as other recommendations for entering the
BIOS setup.

New computers

Thankfully, computers that have been manufactured in the last few years will allow you
to enter the CMOS by pressing one of the below five keys during the boot. Usually it's
one of the first three.

 F1
 F2
 DEL
 ESC
 F10

A user will know when to press this key when they see a message similar to the below
example as the computer is booting. Some older computers may also display a flashing
block to indicate when to press the F1 or F2 keys.

Press <F2> to enter BIOS setup

If your computer is a new computer and you are unsure of what key to press when the
computer is booting, try pressing and holding one or more keys the keyboard. This will
cause a stuck key error, which may allow you to enter the BIOS setup.

Once you've successfully entered the CMOS setup you should see a screen similar to the
below example.
Older computers

Unlike the computers of today, older computers (before 1995) had numerous different
methods of entering the BIOS setup. Below is a listing of general key sequences that may
have had to be pressed as the computer was booting.

 CTRL + ALT + ESC

 CTRL + ALT + INS
 CTRL + ALT + ENTER
 CTRL + ALT + S
 PAGE UP KEY
 PAGE DOWN KEY

File System

Sometimes abbreviated as FS, a file system is a method of organizing and

retrieving files from a storage medium such as a hard drive. File systems usually
consist of files separated into groups called directories. Directories can contain files
or additional directories.

 The old FAT (File Allocation Table) file system was developed originally

(when the original IBM PCs came out) for MS-DOS on small machines and
floppy disks.

File Allocation Table Variants:

 FAT12: The oldest File Allocation Table that uses 12-bit binary
system. A hard disk drive formatted using FAT12 can use a maximum
 of approximately 16,736,256 volume size and today is no longer used.
If your computer is running Windows 95 or above and your FAT within
FDISK is being displayed as FAT12 it is likely that your hard disk drive
is corrupted, bad or has a computer virus.
 FAT16: FAT utilizing a 16-bit binary system. Commonly found with
Windows 3.x through Windows 95. FAT16, while becoming obsolete by
FAT32, is still commonly found.

 FAT32: Enhanced File Allocation Table utilizing a 28-bit binary system,

first used in Windows 95 OSR2 and more so in Windows 98, that saves
disk space by using 4k Cluster. See FAT32 Page for extended
information about FAT32.

 NTFS is short for New Technology File System; a file system that was
originally designed for Windows NT and today is supported in Windows 2000,
Windows XP and some Unix variant operating systems. NTFS, when compared
to previous File Systems such as FAT16, improves on reliability, security and
support for client-server systems.

The file system used goes with an individual partition of the disk. You can mix the
two types on the same physical drive. The Windows XP operating system is the
same, whichever file system is used for its partition, so it is a mistake (and source of
confusion) to speak of “a FAT disk reading an NTFS partition.” It is the operating
system, not the disk, that does the reading.

Actual files are unaffected by which file system they are on; that is merely a matter
of a method of storage. An analogy would be letters stored in an office. They might
be in box-files on shelves (FAT) or in suspended folders in file cabinets (NTFS); but
the letters themselves would be unaffected by the choice of which way to store
them, and could be moved from one storage place to the other. Similarly, files can
be moved between folders on an NTFS partition and folders on a FAT partition, or
across a network to another machine that might not even be running Windows.

EXAMPLE: Consider the downloading to your computer of a file through a link on a

web page. You click on the link, and the file is copied across the Internet and stored
on your hard drive. If you download the file from this present site, the file is stored
on a computer running Unix, which uses neither FAT nor NTFS. The file itself is not
affected when it is copied from a Windows computer to the Unix-based server, or
copied from that server to your Windows-based computer.

However, if a machine has two different operating systems on it, dual booted, they
may not both be able to read both types of partition. DOS (including an Emergency
Startup boot floppy), Windows 95/98, and Windows ME cannot handle NTFS (without
third party assistance). Early versions of Windows NT cannot handle FAT32, only
FAT16. So, if you have such a mixed environment, any communal files must be held
on a partition of a type that both operating systems can understand — meaning,
usually, a FAT32 partition.
2. WHICH SYSTEM TO USE?

There are three considerations that affect which file system should be chosen for any
partition:

a. Do you want to use the additional capabilities that only NTFS

supports?

NTFS can provide control of file access by different users, for privacy and
security. The Home Edition of Windows XP only supports this to the limited
extent of keeping each user’s documents private to him or herself. Full file-
access control is provided in Windows XP Professional, as is encryption of
individual files and folders.

b. Considerations of Stability and Resilience

NTFS has stronger means of recovering from troubles than does FAT. All
changes to files are “journalized,” which allows the system to roll back the
state of a file after a crash of the program using it or a crash of the system.
Also, the structure of the file system is less likely to suffer damage in a crash,
and is therefore more easily reinstated by CheckDisk (CHKDSK.EXE). But in
practical terms, the stability of FAT is adequate for many users, and it has the
benefit that a FAT partition is accessible for repair after booting from a DOS
mode startup floppy, such as one from Windows 98. If an NTFS partition is so
damaged that it is not possible to boot Windows, then repair can be very
difficult.

c. Considerations of economy and performance

On the other hand NTFS takes much more space for holding descriptive information
on every file in that file’s own block in the Master File Table (MFT). This can use quite
a large proportion of the disk, though this is offset by a possibility that the data of a
very small file may be stored entirely in its MFT block. Because NTFS holds
significant amounts of these structures in memory, it places larger demands on
memory than does FAT.

Searching directories in NTFS uses a more efficient stucture for its access to files, so
searching a FAT partition is a slower process in big directories. Scanning the FAT for
the pieces of a fragmented file is also slower.

Computer Bugs and Foul-Up Terms

Glitch: Whenever the computer does something strange or unexpected or behaves in a
manner inconsistent with normal operation, that’s a glitch. Glitches happen to
everyone. Often, you fail to notice a glitch unless it does something that directly affects
what you’re doing. For example, you don’t notice a sound glitch until you try to make
your computer squawk. The sound may have not been working for weeks, but you
notice it missing only when you otherwise would expect it. Such is the agony of the
glitch.
Bug: A bug is an error in a computer program. Despite the effort of the best
programmers, most computer software is riddled with bugs. Bugs are what cause
computer glitches. Bad bugs can cause a computer to hang of crash.
Note that most of the worst bugs happen when you mix two programs together and
they interact in some new and unexpected way. The term comes from the early days of
computing, when a real bug (moth) got stuck in the circuitry.
Hang: a totally unresponsive computer is said to be hung, or hanged. You could also use
the term froze, though hang is the accepted term used by computer nerds for
generations.
Crash: Crash is another term for a dead computer – specifically, what happens to a hard
drive when it ceases operation. A crash is typically more sensational that a hang.
Remember that a hung is a freeze. A crash is typically accompanied by spectacular
warning messages or weird behavior (and may indicate more than just a dying hard
drive). In fact, a crashed computer may still be teasingly functional. Only a foolhardy
continue to use a crashed computer.
Computers shouldn’t crash. They’re not designed to. But they do for two reasons.
 The software has bugs in it.

 There s an utter lack of cooperation

Why do computers have bugs?

It’s an accident, caused by an oversight on the part of the programmer, sloppy
programming, or lack of participation.
In addition to bugs is the lack of cooperation issue. Software and hardware vendors can
check their product in only certain PC configurations.
The computer is a device that’s not designed to crush, but through the odd chance of
software bug or some weird software-hardware mixture, it does crash.

Using the Keyboard in Windows when the Mouse Doesn’t Work

Windows need a mouse, so if you can’t get your mouse to work, you need to rely
on the keyboard to finish up whatever task you have to be done. Here are some handy
key combinations you can use in place of some mouse techniques:
Ctrl + S: Saves a document to disk.
Esc: Cancels a dialog box; closes some windows.
Enter: Does the same thing as pressing OK, or default,” in a dialog box.
Tab: Moves between a various gizmo in a dialog box. Try using the arrow keys or space
bar to active the gizmos.
Alt + F4: Closes a window.
Win(the Window Key): can be used to pop up the Start Menu. You can then use the
arrow keys and enter to select items from the menu.
Ctrl + Esc: Pops up the start menu when you have an older keyboard without a windows
key.
4R (Reinstall, Restore, Recycle and Recover)
REINSTALL

Also referred to as reload, reinstall is the process of installing a software program over
the version that is already installed. This step is commonly performed when a program
has worked in the past but now is experiencing issues that cannot be resolved. To
reinstall a software program or operating system install the program the same way you
did in the past. If prompted about the program or directory already existing choose
continue to overwrite.

RESTORE

Using System Restore

The System Restore utility in Windows is an excellent way to recover from just
about any mishap, but specifically it works best for those it-was-working-yesterday
situations. With System Restore, you can turn the clock on your entire computer system
- yes, back to the good old days when things were working normally.
System Restore Utility works by setting various restore points. A restore point is
a record of your computer’s settings.
In windows vista, restore points are set regularly, At least once a day. A restore
point is also set when you install new software or whenever Windows updates itself. But
can also optionally set your own restore points.
Setting a restore point
1. Click the Start Button
2. In Run or Search textbox type msconfig
3. From the System Configuration Utility Window, Click Launch System Restore
Button
4. The System Restore Window will appear, select the Create a restore point
option then click next.
5. Enter Restore point description then click create.

Restoring Your System

1. Click the Start Button
2. In Run or Search textbox type msconfig
3. From the System Configuration Utility Window, Click Launch System Restore
Button
4. The System Restore Window will appear, select the Restore my pc to an earlier
time option then click next.
5. Select a restore point then click next.
6. Click next and watch your computer restoring itself.

RECYCLE
Restoring from the Recycle Bin
To ease the panic that sets in when you can’t find a file, you need to do two
things: First, use the Search Command to try to locate the file; second, check the Recycle
Bin to see whether the file was accidentally deleted:
1. Open the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.
If the recycle bin icon cannot be found on the desktop, open a Windows Explorer
window (press Win+E on the Keyboard) and choose the recycle Bin from the list
of folders displayed on the left side of the window.

2. Choose Details from the toolbar’s View button menu

The Recycle Bin window, displays information about deleted files in several
columns: Name, Original Location, Date Deleted, and Size. Use the column
headings to help you quickly locate files you have deleted, as covered in the
sections that follows.
 To recover a deleted file, click it and choose the toolbar button titled
Restore This Item.
 To recover more than one file, press the Ctrl key and hold it down as you
click the files you want to restore.
 Files are restored to their original location. To restore a file to another
location, you must drag it down to the desired folder.
 You cannot restore files that were deleted using the shift+Delete
Keystroke.

RECOVER

Term used to describe the process of restoring a file that has been deleted.