"Get a Mac," said my cousin Judy when I mentioned a serial port problem that was plaguing me and my PC. [Personal note to my cousin: Stuff it.] I can't deny that PCs are prone to weird problems, inexplicable glitches that seem to appear out of nowhere. But until I make the change to a Mac (ha!), I'll continue tucking away troubleshooting tricks and reading key PC World articles. And, of course, I'll keep sharing them with you.
But First, a Message
I'm starting to write another PC annoyances article. I'm hoping you can tell me about something your computer does that annoys, irritates, and aggravates you. If it's a good one, you'll see it--and maybe even your name--in PC World's October issue. Keep your messages short, briefly outlining the problem, and make sure to tell me which operating system you're using.
If you don't know about my annoyance articles, check them out: "How to Fix the Biggest PC Annoyances" and "50 Fixes for the Biggest PC Annoyances."
Dig This: Here's the number-one reason to buy a warranty. (And sure, you can LOL--it's not your notebook.) [small image]
Troubleshooting Troublesome PCs
When I'm faced with a strange PC problem, my immediate response is to review everything I've done in the last eight or so hours.
For instance, I recently had a sound problem and was easily able to trace it back to a freeware streaming recorder. That's a tool that scarfs up anything that plays through the computer's speakers. I installed the tool the night before and for no reason I can determine (except, perhaps, to aggravate me), it modified my PC's sound settings. In Windows XP, to find the problem--and the fix--all it took was right-clicking on Adjust Audio Properties on the speaker icon in my system tray, then changing the Sound Playback setting on the Audio tab.
So as best as I can, I try to keep a log of all the new programs I install, as well as to record changes I make to my system. (Like I say, I try; but I'm not always successful.)
If my strategy doesn't help, read "PC Problems? Fix 'Em Yourself" for more advice. The authors, Michael Desmond and Woody Leonhard--yes, of WOPR fame--say that "it takes forever to track down a problem and then about 2 minutes to solve it." Boy, is that right on target!
The whole piece is useful, but here are the items I found especially valuable: "Displays and Graphics Cards," "Hard Drives," and "Windows."
In another good article by Michael Desmond, "How to Troubleshoot the Worst PC Disasters," you'll learn lots about the hardware end of things. For instance, you can find out if your PC's memory is the culprit when your PC crashes, learn how to resuscitate a hard drive, and learn about dealing with system crashes, all in the first few pages of the story. Make sure to take a peek at the section entitled "Problem Solvers: Ten Ways to Stop Disasters Before They Start."
And if you're still entranced with Win 98 (come on, get with Win XP and you won't have DLL problems), read "Banish Those Gnarly Windows Errors," an old Home Office column of mine. Granted it's ancient by computing standards, but so's Win 98.
Network Troubleshooting 101
There's nothing more annoying than trying to troubleshoot a network problem. It doesn't have to be a big network either; something small that's not working between you and your spouse's PC, or maybe your notebook, is also a pain.
In "What to Do When Network PCs Don't See Eye to Eye," Lincoln Spector walks you though some of the most common networking issues for Win 98, Me, 2000, and XP.
Many of you are either using Wi-Fi or thinking about upgrading. Glenn Fleishman, our wireless guy, has a nine-page article that's comprehensive. The section on deadly dead zones, the spots in your house or office with no connectivity, is worth the read alone. Check out "Beating the Wireless Blues" (with the great deck "Wi-Fi may be cool, but it's certainly not bulletproof").
BTW, if you're thinking of buying a Microsoft wireless outfit, count on the company to mess with your plans. Out of the clear blue, Microsoft has decided to stop selling Wi-Fi products. That's nothing new: Microsoft has been pulling stunts like that since the nineties when it sold, and then abandoned, a line of memory expansion cards. My rule is to stick with its mice and keyboards only.
A Handful of Troubleshooting Tools
I know how you like utilities, so I found a page with some good ones. Check out "Best Troubleshooters: Improve Performance, Clean Your PC's Clock." Of the bunch, I especially like PrcView (Process Viewer), a freebie that lets you poke around, explore, and debug the processes running under Windows.
Dig This: So you think you have a big collection of mouse pads? No way, pal, not by a long shot.
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