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Common computer problems and SOLUTIONS !

Today is your lucky day !  You will now have the opportunity, to fix, or at LEAST diagnose your problems, just by reading this article;  preventing your from headaches, and even saving you money !   Read further….

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” My Computer doesn’t power on at all ”


a.) Power plug problem
Check power plug; ensure that it is plugged into the wall and plugged firmly into the computer/power supply

b.) Faulty power strip/surge protector or insufficient power coming from the outlet.
Plug computer into a different outlet to narrow down the problem

c.)Bad power supply
Power supply may need replacing; have it tested by a technician if possible

d.) Bad power switch
Have a technician take a look at your PC to determine this;  if you can’t do it yourself.

Many power supplies have a switch on the back of them, which must be set to the on position in order for power to flow through it, to the PC. Sometimes the solution to your PC powering on is flipping this switch!

e.) Disconnected cords/cables within the computer
Have a technician take a look at your PC to determine this if you can’t do it yourself

f.) Bad motherboard
Have a technician take a look at your PC to determine this if you can’t do it yourself

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“ I got the blue screen of death ( a  blue screen following a crash ) “

a.)   Spyware or viruses
Scan your computer for spyware using a program such as Spybot Search and Destroy or Malwarebytes; which are both free. For virus scanning and removal, just download: ”AVG free “.  Scan and remove any viruses found.  Restart your computer and see if the problem persists.

b.) Driver issues
Ensure you are using the most current drivers for your hardware. Make sure that you have critical patches for Windows installed.  When uninstalling hardware, makesure that you use driver cleaners if at all possible to ensure remnants of old software are cleaned from your registry.

c.) Corrupt registry
Uninstalling/installing software changes keys in your registry. The registry is critical for Windows to function.  Software is available that will check your registry for errors,as well as fixing any error(s) that it finds. Once a registry is corrupted, it is sometimes difficult to repair back to it’s original state. Sometimes a reinstall or repair of Windows is needed.

d.) Bad memory (RAM)
Memory that is faulty does not allow accurate reading/writing to RAM, or Random Access Memory.  Many times, memory in need of replacement will cause blue screen errors. Have a technician take a look at your PC to determine this if you can’t do it yourself.

e.) Bad power supply
Power supply may need replacing; have it tested by a technician if possible

f.) Bad motherboard
Have a technician take a look at your PC to determine this if you can’t do it yourself !

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“ My internet doesn’t work/I can’t get online (Basic troubleshooting) “

a.) ISP problems (Internet Service Provider)

The first step, is contacting your ISP to confirm that there are no connectivity issues or outages, that they know of. If they showa solid connection, proceed to troubleshooting your  connection further.

b.) Faulty or loose connection from the phone jack to your modem.

Ensure that the phone cord plugged into the wall is actually connected. Many times, a connection can be lost or unreliable, due to a plug with a broken clamp, or that is making a bad connection.  Trace the cord back to your modem and make sure that the cord isn’t frayed or damaged, and that the connection into the modem is solid. If possible, troubleshoot by using a different cord.

c.) Router/Modem Issues

Many times a connection problem can be caused by problems with the modem or router. Wireless routers can really cause problems when troubleshooting a wireless internet connection issue.  The first thing to do is to unplug the power cord(s) and cable(s) connected to the  router & modem, and wait for one minute. Also, shut down the PC for one minute and power up.

Afterwards, plug the connectors back into the router and modem.  If that doesn’t solve the issue, the next thing to do is to remove the network cable from the router, and plug it directly to the network card in the computer – and disable the wireless networking signal on the PC (WI-FI).

(The network cable is the cable that plugs to the router, from  the modem – also known as CAT 5 cable)This is especially important when narrowing down wireless internet connection problems.

(Also check to make sure that your router’s firewall isn’t disrupting your connection)

d.) Viruses or Spyware/Malware

Certain types of viruses, malware and spyware can cause problems with your internet connection.  Scan your computer regularly to ensure that malicious software doesn’t wreck havoc on your internet connection. If you can no longer connect to the internet after being infected with a virus or spyware, it’s most likely time to see a professional technician.]

e.) Software

Your operating system, and software installed on your computer,  can cause problems with you connecting to the internet (for instance damaged Winsock files). If your ISP isn’t the issue,  your modem/router or connections are not the cause of your lost connection, and you haven’t been infected with any viruses or spyware;  software is the issue.  Other than your operating system being the culprit, a software firewall if not configured properly; can cause you to lose your internet connection.

Lastly (thought there are more possibilities that can’t be all listed), the TCP/IP configuration can be the reason that you are not connecting.  Since explaining how your TCP/IP configuration works may prove too difficult to understand for most average computer users, it’s best to have a technician look at your computer if you have problems accessing the internet; that aren’t caused by reasons a – d.

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Computer Network Management

Today it is almost inconceivable for a business not to have computers, whether it is a construction company or a high technology firm. When a business has more than one computer, they are almost always connected together in a local area network. These networks may be more or less advanced and therefore more or less costly.

Companies invest so much (in terms of both money and time) in a local area networks because there are many advantages that a local area network brings to a business and how it is administered.

Some businesses use a local area network in such a way they are highly dependent on it always working. If the company’s network fails, then you may see all the employees chatting away in the corridors because they can’t do their work. This means big losses for the company and causes stresses on the employees. All companies must consider their local area networks a vital asset and downtime must be avoided. This imposes huge demands on the network staff to keep such networks running almost 100% of the time.

The advantages of Computer Network Management

One of the main advantages of installing and maintaining LANs is the opportunity they create for better communication and cooperation between employees and customers.

Security considerations: Local Area Network security can be both a help and hindrance. Comprehensive security is beneficial because it provides a central and safe strategy for data access and disaster recovery. All information is protected by the design and implementation of the network security solution. On the other hand, interconnecting computers in local area networks creates a security risk, since doing so makes it technically possible for intruders to access many machines on the network at once.

Cost considerations: Installing a local area network is a relatively expensive project. Servers, cabling, switches, routers and software can all be expensive and should never be purchased without expert advice. Keeping the network operating and secure also requires a lot of resources and can be costly.

Surprisingly, a local area network can bring a number of cost savings. Sharing resources avoids the need to purchase equipment for each individual. Even more important is the security that a local area network can provide. Data loss could cost a business a great deal of money and in some cases, cause the business to shutdown altogether. Computer Network Management should require a consistent routine for data backups with regular checkups of data quality – a practice that will save a company huge sums in the event of a mishap.

Computer Network Management: preliminary analysis phases

The first phase of computer network management is to determine the source of the problem (a preliminary study that looks into several options of differing scope may be useful here) and defining it in a specification of requirements. Examples of what should be evaluated are different network operating systems, mail systems, and other applications. The choice of hardware components should also be evaluated. This phase is generally aimed at establishing what the system should do, not how it should do it.

Computer Network Management: design phase

The purpose of design phase is to determine how the requirements of the specification are to be met. The current approach to large, complex projects is to break them down into smaller, more manageable subprojects.

Computer Network Management: implementation phase

This phase involves the physical installation of the local area network. Cables are run, software is installed, and computers and other hardware are put in place.

Computer Network Management: integration and system testing phase

In this phase, commissioning of the network begins, and routines are adapted to users and the operating personnel. The system must be tested, both to ensure that the network meets the requirements set out in the specification and that it is stable enough to perform the central function it has in the organization.

Computer Network Management: operation and maintenance

Local area networks have complex operating routines. This is because there may be serious consequences when faults occur or unauthorized persons gain access to the system. Many companies have employees devoted solely to take care of running and maintaining computer networks. These system administrators may deal with network issues such as performance, reliability and security of both hardware and software.

Computer Network Management: tools

Although an organization may have computer administrators on site, they must also monitor the network more than eight hours a day. In fact, some of the worst trouble that arises with networks can happen during the night hours when nobody is using the network. With the right computer network management tools, your organization can receive the security of knowing that problems will be foreseen, prevented, and taken care of – and that your network administrator can be notified at a moment’s notice, should anything go exceptionally wrong.

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Ready for the latest rogue antispyware? Here it is: Antivirus 2010 Security Centre?

Ahhh – just in time, the power light flickers, and the scans begin… Or should I rephrase – the scams begin…

On one of the test beds (computers we utilize to check up on the internet on a daily basis – and see which parasites are new and running rampant…) – well today, the newest threat is none other than Antivirus 2010 Security Centre, also referred to as: Antivirus2010SecurityCentre, Antivirus 2010SecurityCentre, Antivirus2010 SecurityCentre.

As with many such fake spyware remover programs, Antivirus 2010 Security Centre tends to generate imaginary system scan reports, which claim to have found serious infections and system risks on the infiltrated computer system.

Antivirus 2010 Security Centre will, as with all these type malicious applications, claim that all threats found can only be removed upon purchasing of the “full” license package of Antivirus 2010 Security Centre. In fact this tactic is specifically created to coerce and frighten computer users into buying this dubious software.

Don’t fall prey to this trick, as these notifications will NOT go away once you have made your purchase. Antivirus 2010 Security Centre will continue to display these pop-up messages, again and again. Antivirus 2010 Security Centre may even install itself onto a user’s computer without the user’s consent or knowledge, via Trojans or misleading websites that contain rogue content.

Be aware of this extremely dangerous rogue application, as it is able to slowdown your computer, limit internet connection and may even result in or even increase system crash.

Once inside and active, Antivirus 2010 Security Centre will bombard the user with pop-up messages and fake system notifications, supposedly to inform the user of multiple threats present on their system.

Antivirus 2010 Security Centre will try to reassure its claims by providing falsified system scan reports. These scan results should NEVER be trusted! Antivirus 2010 Security Centre is also likely to hijack the user’s browser (homepage, searches), and redirect the user to various sites of dubious nature.

The ultimate goal this parasite has is to get the user to purchase the “licensed version”, which is entirely non-functional. If you encounter Antivirus 2010 Security Centre, do NOT download or purchase it and you should instead block Antivirus 2010 Security Centre’s homepage by making use of your HOSTS file.

This dubious application displays a few key properties:

Antivirus 2010 Security Centre is a corrupt Anti-Spyware program
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre may spread via Trojans
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre may display fake security messages
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre may install additional spyware to your computer
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre may repair its files, spread or update by itself
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre violates your privacy and compromises your security
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre is installed without your permission.
Antivirus 2010 Security Centre reputation online is terrible.
The official website of Antivirus 2010 Security Centre is poorly built and lacks basic information.
The payments website of Antivirus 2010 Security Centre is suspicious.
Performance of Antivirus 2010 Security Centre is poor.

Important to bear in mind is the fact that Antivirus 2010 Security Centre program may be difficult to remove manually, and will continue to try to recreate itself.

Delete this parasite ASAP!

So, how would you know if you had Antivirus 2010 Security Centre embedded on your system or not?

Well, if I were you, I would check out and make use of a fully functional and up-to-date antispyware application, note: a legitimate one – and remove Antivirus 2010 Security Centre as soon as possible!

Good luck – and remember: Computer safety First!

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