Number 201 - February 2000

The 10 Minute Miracle
from the Geek Squad (http://www.GeekSquad.com) Try these quick tips from the Geek Squad before you call for help.
1. Print this out and keep it handy - If your computer is crashed, you won't be able to get on the Internet to print this.     2. Turn everything off - Power everything down, then go get a cup of coffee. Come back and power everything back up. You'd be surprised how often this will clear simple glitches.     3. Check the cables - A loose cable can cause all sorts of problems. Unplug your power, keyboard, mouse, video, modem, and printer cables then plug them right back in to make sure they're nice and tight. [The act of just plugging and unplugging cable connectors cleans some corrosion off the contacts. - ed]	4. Take a Step Back - Most problems occur right after you've installed some hardware or software. Try removing the hardware or software to see if the problem still occurs.     5. Make a Backup - Things could get worse, so before it's too late try to back up your critical files (documents, spreadsheets, etc.).     6. Scan for a Virus - Viruses can sometimes cause a problem. Visit http://housecall.antivirus.com to scan your computer over the Web. [This site touts Trend Micro's PC-cillin(R) 6 antivirus program. My firewall program denied it access. See TOG librarian for Norton's AntiVirus - ed]
Number 201 - February 2000