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3 Insider Tips for Buying Test and Measurement Equipment

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Fix Blue Screen of Death Error

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How To Correct A Continually Rebooting Computer

By: Otis Cooper

When you sit down at your computer desk and press the power switch on your desktop, the last thing you want to experience is a continually rebooting computer.

There are a variety of causes that contribute to this problem, from something as simple as a stuck power button to a much more serious problem as your power supply slowly failing. Other causes for this problem may be overheating PC components, or viruses affecting your system.

Now, if you’re like the rest of us, having a computer that reboots constantly is not our idea of a productive day. So how do you diagnose this problem and where do you start to to make corrections. Here are some common but often overlooked causes and solutions that will get your system running again.

First take a look at the power button and see if its stuck in the socket. If so, you may be able to simple tap the front of the case to release the button. In some cases, you may have to remove the system unit cover to get the button to return to the out position.

If you cannot stop the computer from rebooting by pressing the power button and releasing it, turn off the power switch in the back of the computer next to the power supply. If your power supply do not have a power switch, you will have to unplug the system from the wall outlet.

This must be done as soon as possible so that the constant rebooting will not damage components such as the hard drive. Constant rebooting also have the danger of power surges that can further damage larger components such as the motherboard.

Second you check your computer’s software by checking to be sure no virus or malware have not effected your hard drive. Virus and malware are small software that is downloaded along with other files that is designed to cause mischief.

To remove any viruses and malware, use a anti-virus program that will search your hard drive and remove these file quickly. These files can cause such damage as wiping your hard drive of all data or hijacking your web browser so you have no control over your online surfing.

If you find no malware on your computer, take a look at your BIOS to see if it has become unstable or has been changed. BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System and is a small program designed to check all components for proper operation when the computer is turned on.

If your BIOS has been changed or if you’re not sure if its been changed, try to reset the BIOS settings to the default settings after you access the BIOS as the computer reboots.Once inside the BIOS, you should have the option to load your default settings, save the change, and reboot the computer.

However, there are times when a continually rebooting computer will not allow you to access the BIOS. You can then reset the BIOS by removing the system unit cover and locating the jumper on a three pin header.

You must consult your computer or motherboard manual to properly perform this procedure and it should be done as a last resort. Before making any changes to your BIOS, you should backup your BIOS if your computer reboots at long intervals.

After checking your computer’s software for its rebooting problem, you must check to be sure hardware is not at fault. This problem may exist because one of your memory modules are unseated from its socket . Memory modules are long, narrow sticks that attach to the motherboard.

Remove any static electricity from yourself, remove the system unit cover and check these memory modules to be sure they are secure. Check the connections to the hard drive and the connections leading from the power supply.

Power supply connectors should be checked if you’ve done work inside your computer recently. Power Supplies are known to slowly fail and lead to rebooting problems. There is no way to check an ailing power supply and this should be considered the problem as a last resort.

Following these steps will help you correct any computer that continually reboots itself. If no virus or malware is found, carefully and thoroughly check all connections. And if the problem still exist, the most likely cause would be the Power Supply.

About the Author:

Otis F. Cooper is solely dedicated to boosting the knowledge and confidence of every computer user. Sign up to receive his informative articles every month and learn PC Repair absolutely free.Sign up now at http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com

No Comment | Posted in » BIOS, constant rebooting, Continually Rebooting, hardware, jumper, malware, power supply, socket, virus    

Choosing the Components to Build your Own Computer

By:IC

Many people now opt to build their own computer so that they are more in control of the specifications they want and save more than just a few pounds. There are a multitude of DIY’s found all over the Internet, and yes, it is possible to build one yourself! But before doing so, you must choose the right components for your computer. Here are some of the very basic components you need to get:

Computer Case

Computer cases now come in a variety of designs and colours. Some now even come with a panel window where you can see the inside parts through. What is important when buying a case is that the size of the case should support the size of the motherboard. A mid-tower case is highly recommended as it has enough room for all the hardware.

Power Supply

The power supply must provide you at least 300 watts and fit right into the computer case you choose. If you are one of those who extreme users or gamers, you may want to buy a bigger power supply to feed additional cooling, USB devices and case lighting.

Processor

The processor is the most important choice you need to make in setting up your own computer. You have to know exactly what kind and how fast you need. There are a variety of options from AMD and Intel, for example: AMD Athlon, AMD Sempron, AMD Duron, Intel Celeron, Intel Core Duo, among others. If you only use the computer to surf the web, do word processing, gaming and some graphics editing, the 1.8 GHz - 2.0 GHz might be enough. Extreme gaming, 3D rendering and video editing would need at least a 2.4GHz processor.

CPU Cooler

Processors usually come with a fan and a heat sink. But it is best to get a cooler that is more efficient and quieter than the one included in the package. Remember to get a thermal compound to put onto the CPU core.

Motherboard

Choose a motherboard that matches your processor's socket type and supports the same bus speed as the CPU.

RAM

Similarly, choose a RAM that is compatible with the motherboard's bus speed. Get at least 512MB of RAM.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

The HDD is your permanent storage for system files, applications, documents, games and so on. Get the largest hard drive capacity that you can afford. If you are on a tight budget, you can get at least a 60GB. Most motherboards have IDE slots for hard drives. Newer ones also have SATA connectors for SATA HDDs, which are quite faster than IDE HDDs.

Graphics Card
If you use the computer for regular office work, you can get a motherboard with a built-in video card. If you use it for gaming, you might want to buy a separate video card. Video cards usually use an AGP slot or a PCI Express slot on the motherboard.

Sound Card

Most motherboards have built-in sound cards which generally have good quality. If you use sound mixing or audio/video editing, you can get at least a 24-bit sound card for better quality.

CD/DVD

Of optical drives, it is best to seek for a DVD/CD-RW combo or a DVD±RW; the latter is a better choice. DVDs have larger capacity to allow you to store more music and movie files and back-up data. If you do not expect to burn disks, you can opt for a CD-R or a DVD-R drive.

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No Comment | Posted in » Computer Case, dvd/cd-rwcombo, HDD, heat sink, motherboard, power supply, processor, ram, sound cards, video card    

How To Troubleshoot a PC That Won't Turn On

From Tim Fisher,

It's a dreadful way to start a day - you press the power button on your PC and nothing happens. Do not fear because all may not be lost! Follow these simple steps to determine why your computer won't turn on.

Note: It is very important to troubleshoot any issue beginning with the most likely and easily testable problem so be sure to follow these steps in order.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours depending on why the computer won't turn on

Here's How:

1. As silly as it may sound, the number one reason why a computer won't turn on is because it wasn't turned on! Before starting a sometimes time consuming troubleshooting process, make sure you've actually turned on both the computer case and the monitor using the power switches on the front of both.

2. Many computers have power switches on the power supply, located on the back of the PC's case. Check this switch, often called the rear power switch, and make sure it is turned on and that the correct voltage is set and then attempt to power on your computer again.

Tip: On is indicated by the "I" symbol and off is indicated by the "O" symbol.

3. Check for loose PC and monitor power cable connections. A loose or unplugged power cable is one of the top reasons why a computer doesn't turn on.

4. Perform a "lamp test" to verify power is being provided. Your computer isn't going to turn on if it's not getting power so you need to make sure that the power source is working properly.

5. A damaged power supply could be preventing the PC from being properly powered, an excellent reason why the PC won't power on.

Do a quick test of the power supply by holding your hand behind the power supply fan located at the rear of the case. If the power supply is working, you should feel air from within the case blowing against your hand. If not, you may need to replace the power supply.

Tip: Is the power light on the front of the computer's case on? If you've turned the power switch on but the light is off, this is another good indication that the power supply is the cause of this issue.

6. Over time, internal components and the cables that connect them can wiggle loose which can often time result in a computer unable to power on. Try reseating the following and then try to power on the PC again:
* Reseat the internal cables
* Reseat the memory modules
* Reseat the video card
* Reseat other expansion cards

7. Reseating the CPU may also be necessary but should only be attempted if the reaseating of all other components is not successful. This is due to the fact that this process is a little more involved and can run a small risk of damage to the CPU (this isn't a big concern if you're careful, so don't worry!).

8. Check for causes of electrical shorts in the computer case. This is often the cause of the problem when the computer powers on for a second or two but then powers off completely.

9. Hearing beeps? You haven't gone mad - your computer may be using a beep code to tell you exactly what's wrong! Troubleshoot the beep code and service the computer as necessary.

10. Most monitors have a small light next to the power button that can change between various colors. If the screen is blank, this light is your main source of information about the monitor.

If this light is not on at all, double-check the power switch and connections (Steps 1, 2 and 3) and also make sure the monitor cable is securely plugged in to the video card port on the back of the computer case. If the light is still off, replace the monitor. If it comes back on, try starting your PC again - a loose or unplugged monitor cable may have been the issue all along.

11. An amber or yellow power light simply means that the monitor is not receiving any information from the computer. In and of itself, this doesn't tell us much.

On the other hand, if the light is amber or yellow, the computer power light is on, and the hard drive is active (making normal sounds and hard drive activity light on the computer case is blinking), the computer is probably starting normally but the video card is not sending information to the monitor. Replace the video card.
Beep codes usually sound when a video card has malfunctioned (Step 9) but this is not always the case.

Tips:
Still can't get your PC to turn on? Let a community of PC support enthusiasts help out! Post the details of your problem in the Focus on PC Support Forums.

source: about.com

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