Issue 39
Many times, you really do need a good computer tech to solve problems on your computer. However, there are a number of problems that will respond at least temporarily to quick tricks you can try that won’t do damage to your system or your data.
The first of these is the dreaded “lock-up”. This occurs when the computer gets confused and doesn’t know what to do or how to do it. It is usually accompanied by either an “hourglass” or “rotating circle” that just keeps going around and around or by a system that won’t respond at all – no clicks, no highlighting icons or files or any other indication that it knows you are there. The first thing to do is wait for a few minutes and see if it recovers on its own. The second is to hold down the “ctrl” and “alt” keys while you push Delete or “del”.
If the computer is not completely locked up, it will bring up a box called the Windows Task Manager. Under the “Applications” tab, you may see programs that are not running. If you highlight them and click “End Task”, it may get your system working again.
Usually if you have a problem like this, you want to regain control of the computer so you can save what you have been doing. Then you should turn off the computer and then restart it. Remember that, if you don’t save your documents, they or any changes you have made to them may be lost if you turn off the program or the computer.
If the computer is truly “locked up” and you can’t get any reaction after a few minutes, you should turn it off for a minute or so and then restart. If you can’t get it to turn off normally, you can hold the power button in for about 4 seconds and it should power down. If it still won’t do so, you can unplug it.
Another problem people are having a lot lately is getting a pop-up that says they are infected with a virus. The pop-up may even look like their anti-virus, but will have a different name such as “Personal Anti-Virus” or “Anti-Virus 2009”. This is not something you want. Don’t activate it as it may be a virus trying to get around your protection system. If you tell it to install or continue, it can virus your system even if you have AVG or Norton or the other anti-virus programs.
The rule of thumb is always – “If you didn’t ask for it, don’t install it – it’s probably dangerous.” It’s better to be safe than sorry. Also remember to always have a backup of anything that is important to you.
As always, stay safe and happy computing.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 27 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.