IT Help Desk > One in all PC tips

Computer Repair tips

<< < (3/4) > >>

Golam Kibria:
Computer Speakers Not Working

Firstly, you need to check if there is actually a problem in the speakers. They can be times when the computer settings are at fault, like the volume controls and audio setup. The best way to make sure if the problem lies with the speakers is to use the speakers on a different PC or laptop computer. If they work fine, then your computer has some problem. But if they don't, then you need to take the steps for troubleshooting your computer speakers.

Check Power Connection
If the computer speakers are not working, you need to make sure if they are properly connected to the power switch. Typically, home theater speakers and other portable computer speakers have an LED light that turns on when the speakers are connected to the power source. Check if the light is on, and if it is not, remove the power connection, and plug it back again.

Check Speaker Connection
Another reason is the individual speakers not connected properly to the sub-woofer, or the portable ones not properly connected to the back of the CPU. If you are using home theater speakers, check if every individual speakers is appropriately connected to the back of the main sub-woofer. Remove all the connections and plug them back again. But before getting the connections out, make sure that you know exactly in which format to connect the individual speakers to the sub-woofer. In case of portable speakers, simply remove the connection from the back of the CPU and put it back again.

Check Volume Settings
If the speakers are not playing audio or video, you need to check the volume settings on the computer, as well as on the speakers. On a PC, with Windows operating system, the volume can be adjusted by clicking on 'Start', 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'Entertainment', and then 'Volume Control'. Also check if the volume is totally muted. If yes, uncheck the 'Mute' option. Set the PC and the speaker volume to a suitable level.

Check Sound Card Functionality
There are also times when the sound card may get corrupt. If you have a doubt regarding improper working of the sound card, you can check by connecting another set of speakers to the computer. If the new speakers do not work, then the sound card is at fault. This check can also be performed by using headphones, instead of separate speakers.

If all the above mentioned troubleshooting steps do not work, then probably the speakers themselves have gone defunct. In this case, you would need to call the dealer and get the speakers repaired or replaced.

Golam Kibria:
Laptop repair:

Laptop Keyboard

The first thing, which is quite common, is the keyboard. Laptop keyboards are not quite fond of liquids such as water, tea, coffee, juice, beer or wine etc. So when you spill some on your laptop keyboard, you are asking for some amount of trouble. 9 times out of 10 you are going to have to replace the laptop keyboard.

Ideally, therefore, it is advised that don't keep a cup or glass of these and other liquids close to your laptop while working with it. It is just not worth the risk.

However, in the case that you do end up spilling any liquid on your keyboard, the best thing to do is to switch off the laptop. Do not try to turn the laptop upside down and shake it to get the liquid out. It does not work. If you must tilt it, then tilt the laptop towards the side where you have the CD/DVD Player. There are less number of damageable parts on that side of the laptop. Also, using a hairdryer to dry out the liquid does not help - it just melts the keys with the heat.

Don't switch on the laptop until you are sure that the liquid has dried off its own accord. Once this has been ascertained, then you can attach an external keyboard to your laptop and switch it on to see if there is any other damage that has occurred.

Depending upon the amount of damage that has happened, your laptop repair person will charge you for the replacement of the entire keyboard and other repair costs. It is best to let an expert handle this. At least, for the first time!

Most keyboards are held in place by a few screws and the keyboard is connected to the motherboard with a connector. The keyboard connector needs a bit of careful handling, so unless you are sure, don't do it yourself, as it may cause further problems to the motherboard while unplugging if done carelessly.

If some of the keys of the keyboard have come off, you may also have to go for the replacement of the entire keyboard. This is because very small plastic mounting arms hold the keys in place on the keyboard which are held together by little clips. If either of these have broken, it is very difficult to obtain spare mounting arms or clips. Plus, fitting them is a very detailed job and may cost you a lot of money.

Golam Kibria:
Laptop Repair:

Laptop Battery
Laptops have batteries which eventually give out and not charge. You may see advertisements where people promise to repack and / or recondition your laptop batteries so that they get back to top form.

Before you do that, check your laptop warranty, because doing so may end up making the warranty void. Also, all these things often don't work as well as they promise.

The best course of action here is to replace your batteries with new ones. Most laptop batteries are very easy to remove and replace, and instructions can be found in the User Manual.

Golam Kibria:
System Restore Problems

At times, System Restore service does not work in Vista, Windows XP or Windows 7 because of insufficient hard disk space. At least 200 MB of free hard disk space is required for System Restore to function properly. This space is required for storing the data gathered for the restore points. If the disk space is less, System Restore will be disabled. Once the space required for the data is available, System Restore starts saving and creating the restore points until this space is full.

When all the space gets used up, it starts overwriting, starting with the most recent data. Another cause for System Restore not working might be a virus attack. Sometimes restore points get corrupted due to computer viruses or an anti-virus software, therefore, you must make sure that you are using an effective anti-virus program.

How to Solve this Problem

System Restore gets disabled either due to a lack of disk space or due to registry changes made by certain viruses. In case, System Restore doesn't work when you boot normally, you can try to restore your computer in safe mode. Do you know how to boot in Safe Mode? Well, it's simple, You just need to tap the F8 button while your PC is booting up. Once you select the option that allows you to start your computer in Safe Mode, see if System Restore works. Though this might help, at times System Restore may not work in safe mode also.

Under such circumstances, the best option would be to try using System Restore disk. If you have a System Restore disk in your optical drive when your computer boots, the computer must boot to the restore disk, and not to your hard drive. You will need to make some adjustments in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output Settings) so that your computer boots from the restore disk. This will lead you to System Restore disk menu. Follow the instructions to perform a System Restore. In case Windows XP System Restore is not working, you can boot your system from your Windows XP CD. To boot from the CD drive, make adjustments to BIOS. Put the XP CD in the drive and restart your computer. Once your computer boots up, you need to look for 'Automated System Recovery' at the screen. A scan will start and this program will find the required files from your XP CD. You will have to reboot your computer. After the reconfiguration of the system files, System Restore will start working again.

This was some information on System Restore. So, the next time you find that System Restore is not working, do a disk cleanup, check the antivirus software or try the given instructions to solve the problem.

nature:
Very good job Kibria, your information is really helpful for the users of computer and for me because i use laptop.
Thanks for your post.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page