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Computer Maintenance
Tasks and programs that are necessary for proper computer upkeep including Scandisk and Defrag
1,519 Questions
Nice question! Additionally a subject that i have probed into before. Some people will in reality declare one had better be careful on what one asks in these respects.
What software can be used to defragment a harddrive?
Hard drive defragmentation is not difficult, and there is software available for this task for any operating system. Windows includes as part of the operating system "Disk Defragmenter" (in Accessories/System Tools); there are also free third-party tools available like Auslogics Disk Defrag, MyDefrag, and Defraggler. The Macintosh operating system has basic defragmentation routines which run automatically, but should you wish you can purchase Disc Warrier or iDefrag.
How to stop the Dell inspison loading an infinite number of times?
I can't tell what you are asking. Can you please explain your problem?
Perhaps you have a virus. So the simple solutions are get rid of the virus that restarts your computer or unplug/turn off your computer and it will stop loading up.
Why does none of my computer's ports work?
You either have a power supply problem, or if the ports are coming straight off of the motherboard, which they normally are then you obviously have a motherboard problem. Part of it could have shorted out and the only thing you can really do is replace it.
How good was the performance on the old computers?
The average home computer was moderately fast but the parts inside were fairly large and there were cables and stuff everywhere inside making it harder for the motherboard to receive and send data to different components in the computer. The Eniac was a computer monster used in WWII couldn't do much but it was a jump in the technology that helped us get to where we are today.
What are Multimeters that would work well in a computer repair environment?
One simple test you can perform on a power supply is to check the output voltages. This shows whether a power supply is operating correctly and whether the output voltages are within the correct tolerance range. Note that you must measure all voltages with the power supply connected to a proper load, which usually means testing while the power supply is still installed in the system and connected to the motherboard and peripheral devices.
Selecting a MeterYou need a simple digital multimeter (DMM) or digital volt-ohm meter (DVOM) to perform voltage and resistance checks on electronic circuits (see Figure 3.17). You should use only a DMM instead of the older needle-type multimeters because the older meters work by injecting 9v into the circuit when measuring resistance, which damages most computer circuits.
Figure 3.17 A typical DMM.
A DMM uses a much smaller voltage (usually 1.5v) when making resistance measurements, which is safe for electronic equipment. You can get a good DMM with many features from several sources. I prefer the small, pocket-size meters for computer work because they are easy to carry around.
Some features to look for in a good DMM are as follows:
Pocket size. This is self-explanatory, but small meters are available that have many, if not all, of the features of larger ones. The elaborate features found on some of the larger meters are not really necessary for computer work.
Overload protection. This means that if you plug the meter into a voltage or current beyond the meter's capability to measure, the meter protects itself from damage. Cheaper meters lack this protection and can easily be damaged by reading current or voltage values that are too high.
Autoranging. This means that the meter automatically selects the proper voltage or resistance range when making measurements. This is preferable to the manual range selection; however, really good meters offer both autoranging capability and a manual range override.
Detachable probe leads. The leads easily can be damaged, and sometimes a variety of differently shaped probes are required for different tests. Cheaper meters have the leads permanently attached, which means you cannot easily replace them. Look for a meter with detachable leads that plug into the meter.
Audible continuity test. Although you can use the ohm scale for testing continuity (0ohms indicates continuity), a continuity test function causes the meter to produce a beep noise when continuity exists between the meter test leads. By using the sound, you quickly can test cable assemblies and other items for continuity. After you use this feature, you will never want to use the ohms display for this purpose again.
Automatic power off. These meters run on batteries, and the batteries can easily be worn down if the meter is accidentally left on. Good meters have an automatic shutoff that turns off the unit when it senses no readings for a predetermined period of time.
Automatic display hold. This feature enables you to hold the last stable reading on the display even after the reading is taken. This is especially useful if you are trying to work in a difficult-to-reach area single-handedly.
Minimum and maximum trap. This feature enables the meter to trap the lowest and highest readings in memory and hold them for later display, which is especially useful if you have readings that are fluctuating too quickly to see on the display.
Although you can get a basic pocket DMM for as little as $20, one with all these features is priced in the $100-$200 range. Radio Shack carries some nice inexpensive units, and you can purchase the high-end models from electronics supply houses, such as Newark or Digi-Key.
Measuring VoltageTo measure voltages on a system that is operating, you must use a technique called back probing on the connectors (see Figure 3.18). You cannot disconnect any of the connectors while the system is running, so you must measure with everything connected. Nearly all the connectors you need to probe have openings in the back where the wires enter the connector. The meter probes are narrow enough to fit into the connector alongside the wire and make contact with the metal terminal inside. The technique is called back probing because you are probing the connector from the back. You must use this back-probing technique to perform virtually all the following measurements.
Figure 3.18 Back probing the power supply connectors.
To test a power supply for proper output, check the voltage at the Power_Good pin (P8-1 on AT, Baby-AT, and LPX supplies; pin 8 on the ATX-type connector) for +3v to +6v of power. If the measurement is not within this range, the system never sees the Power_Good signal and therefore does not start or run properly. In most cases, the power supply is bad and must be replaced.
Continue by measuring the voltage ranges of the pins on the motherboard and drive power connectors. If you are measuring voltages for testing purposes, any reading within 10% of the specified voltage is considered acceptable, although most manufacturers of high-quality power supplies specify a tighter 5% tolerance. For ATX power supplies, the specification requires that voltages must be within 5% of the rating, except for the 3.3v current, which must be within 4%. The following table shows the voltage ranges within these tolerances.
Loose Tolerance
Tight Tolerance
Desired Voltage
Min. (-10%)
Max. (+8%)
Min. (-5%)
Max. (+5%)
+3.3V
2.97V
3.63V
3.135
3.465
+/-5.0V
4.5V
5.4V
4.75
5.25
+/-12.0V
10.8V
12.9V
11.4
12.6
The Power_Good signal has tolerances that are different from the other voltages, although it is nominally +5v in most systems. The trigger point for Power_Good is about +2.4v, but most systems require the signal voltage to be within the tolerances listed here:
Signal
Minimum
Maximum
Power_Good (+5V)
3.0V
6.0V
Replace the power supply if the voltages you measure are out of these ranges. Again, it is worth noting that any and all power supply tests and measurements must be made with the power supply properly loaded, which usually means it must be installed in a system and the system must be running.
Specialized Test EquipmentYou can use several types of specialized test gear to test power supplies more effectively. Because the power supply is one of the most failure-prone items in PCs today, you should have these specialized items if you service many PC systems.
Digital Infrared ThermometerOne of the greatest additions to my toolbox is a digital infrared thermometer. They also are called noncontact thermometers because they measure by sensing infrared energy without having to touch the item they are reading. This enables me to make instant spot checks of the temperature of a chip, a board, or the system chassis. They are available from companies such as Raytek (http://www.raytek.com) for under $100. To use these handheld items, you point at an object and then pull the trigger. Within seconds, the display shows a temperature readout. These devices are invaluable in checking to ensure your system is adequately cooled.
What main advanatge do computers provide?
If you mean by a "general advantage", then they provide lots of advantages. Such as banking, (social) networking, research, paying bills, organizing files, preserving old documents, gaming, etc...
Sounds like it could be an electrical problem...possibly bad battery, alternator, or starter. If there is a sound sort of like a machine gun when you crank it, but the engine won't turn over, then it's the battery, and possibly the alternator; if there's just a clicking or whirring sound, that's the starter; if nothing happens at all, that's the alternator, and that also means the battery is probably dead. Has your red battery light come on on your dashboard? Also could be failed ignition control module, ignition coils, or badly worn spark plugs. I would check the battery, alternator, and starter first. If you can get the car jumped, take to an auto parts store, and they should be able to test your battery and electrical systems' integrity for free. Plus, I think you mean "quarts" not "liters" of oil. If the problem's oil related, I'd have the car checked for leaks with a compression test by a mechanic. Or it could be the computer going bad. Once again, a mechanic would be the best person to see. If it does turn out to be the computer, this is one of the very, very few times I would take it in to the dealer to have it fixed. Hope this helps. Best of luck!
Are there any quick tips to make your laptop run quicker?
Clicking pop-ups that claim to make your computer run faster is the worse thing you can do and is horrible advice. Do that and you will be infected with malware. If your computer is running slow there are some things that might help. First off, run Disk Cleanup and check all the boxes of all it finds and let you computer remove those items. Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, etc. Now start Task Manager and click the startup tab. Disable any item you do not need to start when the computer starts. Now restart your computer in Safe Mode and run all your security scans and delete anything they find. Restart your computer again normally and it should be faster.
Well most of the words stated above are correct but what I am going to add here more is because you can't always run the disk cleanup I would suggest you to install a CC Cleaner, It is a small packet which you can always carry upon one click PC/Laptop optimiser.
Mixing memory of different types and latencies is not particularly a good idea. But you can often make them work together if you must and if you know what you are doing. If they are in the same bank, then you would likely have to override the detected memory settings in your CMOS. In that case, you'd usually have to use all the worst timings of the two (larger numbers). In this case, you'd have to use a latency of 5. This might be listed as CL or CAS if your motherboard will let you manually set the timings.
However, there is an exception. If you are also mixing speeds, you would have to use the slower speed. But if the faster memory has a higher latency, you might still get by with the lowest latency of the two. If you overclock memory, the latency gets worse, so if you underclock it, it gets better. The latency number is calculated by the rated speed, but it is measured by clock cycles, not by time. It would make more sense to end users to measure the latency by some time unit, but the memory controller has to know how many clock cycles to wait. You would likely need to convert the latency to nanoseconds. One formula is:
(CL/(Freq-in-MHZ) * 1000) = speed in ns
For DDR, remember to half the chip's label frequency. This formula will allow you to compare latencies, and if you reverse the process, you should be able to generate new compatible latencies if you must use the memory at a different frequency from the rated. If you must round latencies, go higher.
What does the message 'Bad checksum' mean why you try and download updates in Spybot?
There is a mathematical formula run across the binary form of a file. The answer to that formula is a files "checksum." This can be used later to ensure a file has not been tampered with either on purpose or by accidental corruption such as the results of a bad file transfer.
When Spybot gives you the "Bad Checksum" message it means that the file it received does not calculate to the same checksum as was recorded for the source file. The most common "fix" for this is to perform another transfer of the file. Spybot's update process being run a second time should resolve the problem.
What is the most probable cause of a sound card and a printer working intermittently?
a changed printer cable
My screen turned and now it is vertical. How can I turn it so I can read it again?
Press ctrl, alt and any of the arrow keys at the same time to rotate the screen. If an arrow doesn't work, try a different one.
What are the uses of the command line?
From the command line (in windows) you can access many of windows internal features such as trouble shooting the dll structure and network analysis for more information you can type 'help' in CMD (command line)
Most other operating systems have command lines, such as Linux and Ubuntu
WARRNING: you can really damage your computer if you don't know what your doing
What do you do when you want to install a printer and don't have the installation CD?
Go to the printer manufacturers website. What you need is the "driver" so that your system will recognize the new printer. Recently did this for a couple year old flatbed scanner - works great.
The best thing to do is check the website for a mention o Open Source. see www.ubuntu.com and open source applications that you know of to see what you are looking for on the site to see if it is open source.
When installing Linux why does it ask for a disk when there is one there already?
The usual method to install a linux type operating system (Ubuntu, for one example) is to first download the program, burn it as an ISO onto a CD, and make the CD drive as the first boot (rather than the hard-drive) by entering the BIOS. Then, with the CD in the drive switch on the computer. You will eventually be offered the choice of running the ubuntu operating system as a live-cd, which doesn't alter any settings or your present OS, as it is run entirely in memory (RAM), or install Linux Ubuntu (either as a dual-boot or do you want it to use the whole of the hard-drive). As to why there is a disc already there? Maybe the BIOS has not been set to make the CD drive the first boot?
How do you mount an SD card in Ubuntu eee without superuser rights?
First open the terminal and type "sudo mkdir /media/MMCSD" Then type "sudo nano /etc/fstab" Then scroll down the entry starting with /dev/sdb1 delete the line and in its place paste this line /dev/hdb1 /media/MMCSD vfat auto,user,sync,exec,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=007 0 0 This will give you full root access to your sd cards I recomend the this one^ Or you you can type /dev/sdb1 /media/MMCSD auto user,auto,exec,rw o o This won't give root access to the card (i.e can save or make directorys on card)
What contains a map to the partitions on a hard drive?
The area on the hard drive that contains a map to all the partition on the drive is called the partition table. That is what partition utilities edit when you add, delete, convert, or resize a partition.
How can you recover a recent backup file you accidentally deleted?
Restore your computer to an earlier date when you had saved your file or
Using ERD Commander disk to recover deleted files.
Generally the second option works more better because i have used that.
The monitor hold 20,000 or more volts (depending on the monitor size and components). Voltage can still be present after turning off the power. Most technicians who work on monitors have special training in working on high-voltage equipment. If you must remove the monitor case to work inside a monitor, safety rules include the following: (1) do not wear the antistatic wrist strap; (2) unplug the AC cord from the monitor or wall outlet; (3) do not use regular test equipment to measure the monitor's high voltages.
