As for the re-install of all the necessary software, you could also get somebody else to do it for you like the technician in the shop but be prepared to shell out a few bucks just for that(not considering the other software you may need installed that he may have to find for you = additional charges).

My monitor is black.

Solution:

1. Make sure the monitor is turned on. Try pressing the power button on the monitor again.
2. Check to see if it is in sleep mode. Wiggle the mouse around or press the enter key.
3. If the green light is not on in front, check the power cord connecting the monitor into the outlet.
4. If the green light is on, check the brightness level by using the buttons on the monitor.
5. Check the cable connection from the monitor into the computer or the equipment that links your computer to the TV monitor.
6. If you still have some problems, call your help desk.

Aftermarket CPU fans come in all shapes and sizes and vary in effectiveness from ones that bolt onto the CPU with heat tubes and bigger fans to ones that have external intake/exhaust ports to get it cooling faster and effectively. Be sure to check the wiring harness and to keep it out of the way of the fan blades, for it may be expensive but a stuck fan will do you no good!

Cooling fans come in all shapes and sizes and now even come with filters that can be attached to the intake preventing dust and other debris that may get sucked into the case from wreaking havoc inside. You do need to check on them periodically for they will clog up fast in dusty locations. Replacement filters are easily affixed to the fans to keep them running cool for many years.

Often, calling cards with free calling plans are the best for this type of situation – the reasons are obvious, but what you should keep in mind is that a calling card can allow you to remain in touch with the service and find out how your repair is going without having to shell out a load of cash for the phone bill at the end of the month.

If you can’t secure a free calling plan, at least try to get one that gives you discounted calls to the service center – even that can be beneficial to a high degree in some cases. And if you utilize your chances correctly, you’ll find the repair of your computer costing a lot less than you initially expected it to. Not many people realize the high costs often attached to those constant phone calls, but with a good calling card you can see those first-hand very soon!

This is often the solution, and it’s frustrating because it’s incredibly simple. All you have to do is find out from the motherboard manual where the CMOS jumper is. Make sure the system has no source of power (meaning the power supply is unplugged and the battery is removed). Then, move the CMOS jumper over the pins that clear it. After a few moments, put the jumper back, plug the power and battery back in, and try it.

If it works, you’re done! Congratulations on being extremely lucky! Karma will probably come around later and bite you in the ass.

If not, continue on. You may have a long road in front of you.

Source

Viruses and worms are computer programs deliberately designed and written to alter the way your computer works, without your permission or knowledge.

A virus has two properties:

• It must be able to run itself.
• It must be able to replicate or duplicate itself.

Some viruses are designed to cause damage to the PC they are on by destroying programs, deleting user files, or reformatting the hard drive, but other viruses are merely prankster programs that spread and present a message in one form or another. But even these joke viruses must be removed because they can consume valuable system resources or cause the computer to crash.

A worm is different than a virus; it is a program that can spread from system to system within another document, such as an e-mail message or a Microsoft Word document.

A Trojan horse is a file that claims to be innocent but harbors malicious code that might do one of a number of different things, such as delete files or steal your data. The main difference between a Trojan horse and a worm or a virus is that a Trojan horse does not replicate itself.

It is quite easy to protect yourself from viruses, worms, and Trojan horses: install a good antivirus program (for example, Norton AntiVirus 2007, McAfee or ZoneAlarm) and keep it up-to-date. A good antivirus scanner will not only be able to detect and block any viruses, worms, or Trojan horses that try to enter you system, it will also be able to remove any malware already installed on your PC.

It is important to keep the antivirus application updated (it’s recommended that you upgrade the main software package yearly) and that you download and install the latest antivirus detection databases regularly, because hundreds of new viruses and worms are released weekly. If you don’t keep the detection databases in the program up-to-date, the app won’t be able to detect and repair anything new that finds its way onto your PC. Consult the help file or manual for your antivirus program to find out how to do this (most are able to update themselves automatically).

Here are a few other precautions you can take to keep yourself safe:

• Be suspicious of any e-mail attachments that you receive from unknown sources. E-mail is the main source of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.
• Be suspicious of downloads sent to you via chat applications (such as MSN Messenger or AIM).
• Be picky about where you download files from on the Internet; many virus and worm writers use free software to disguise malicious applications.
• Make sure that your PC has all the latest patches and updates installed (if you run Windows, visit the Windows Update site to install all the patches your operating system needs).
• Scan all discs and downloads for viruses before running them.

Visit Download.com for a selection of popular anti-virus software downloads that you can try on your PC.

Source

The first thing you should do is remove the system from the case, place it on a non-conductive surface, and disconnect all components from the motherboard with these exceptions

• CPU (and heatsink/fan)
• A single stick of memory
• Video
• Power supply
• Power button

This means no drives, no peripherals, no extra ports, nothing. This tests two problems at once. They are the possibility of some peripheral preventing the system from powering up and the possibility of the motherboard shorting onto the case somehow (aka, a standoff that should not be there).

To do a quick elimination (only if the system is completely failing to give any power at all), find where the power button connects and short those two pins for a moment with anything conductive that you have on hand. A screwdriver, knife, coin, or anything metal will work. If the system spins up, you need a new power button. (If your system was already spinning up, you can skip this step.)

If the system fails to power up outside the case, here are two things you need to do. First, do a visual inspection of all the capacitors on the motherboard. These are the little battery-looking things. What you’ll be looking for is any fluid leaking out of the top or bottom, any “gook” anywhere on them, or if they are bulging out the top or sides.

While you’re poking around for bad capacitors, take a look at the ATX power connector; make sure it doesn’t have any scorch marks or look melted. If anything shows any of these characteristics, your motherboard is almost definitely your problem. If they all look ok, test repeatedly, with each stick of memory individually in each slot (this means nine tests for three sticks of memory on a board with three slots!).

If the system eventually powers up, you’ve found good memory — probably your only problem — and you’re probably done. Put the stripped-down version back into the case and secure it. If it powers up again, skip to step 9.

If not, you need to remove it again and investigate the setup of your motherboard standoffs and make sure nothing is touching the motherboard where it should not be touched. After this is done and all is well with the basics inside the case, skip to step 9.

If it fails to power up with any memory configuration out of the case, we know it must be either the CPU, the memory, the video, the motherboard, or the power supply, or any combination thereof.

Source

When you’re buying a new computer, you’re usually given several options in terms of display. There are super-large, widescreen 20-plus inch LCDs. There are the modest, 15-inch CRTs. Then of course, there are the 15-inch LCDs and also large CRTs.

While LCD monitors have been considered gold standard in office computing these days, CRTs still have a place in the computing world. Not all environments are ideal for using LCD monitors, after all.

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of each.
The CRT
* The good: Cheap, excellent color reproduction, crisp display, great for games and videos.
* The bad: Large, Gives off some heat and radiation, consumes more electricity.

The LCD
* The good: Great for the eyes, saves space, cheaper electricity bills.
* The bad: More expensive to buy, limited resolution options, limited color range.

To summarize, LCD monitors are ideal in situations that require you to stare at the computer for longer periods of time. This is because LCDs give off less radiation than CRT screens. So this means they’re ideal in office settings, for example when editing documents, using spreadsheets, and communicating via email, and even for surfing the Web.

However, LCD monitors sometimes don’t have the capability for high refresh rates that CRT monitors have, and therefore CRT might still be useful for online gaming and video. CRT monitors can also switch across different resolutions easily, so you can play games at different resolutions (say, if performance is lagging at high resolutions, you can lower it a bit using game settings). LCDs only work best at native resolutions, and you tend to get aliasing issues when you switch to lower resolutions.

Then of course, there’s the price factor. LCD’s are more expensive off the shelf. But if you’re in it for the long term, consider that LCD monitors eat up less power than CRT monitors, so you can save on electricity bills if you keep your computers on all the time.

via [PCExtreme]