Number 209 - October 2000
The 10 Minute Miracle
    Try these quick tips from the Geek Squad before you call for help ((www.GeekSQuad.com).

    1. Print this out and keep it handy - If you're computer is crashed, you won't be able to get on the Internet to print this!

    2. Turn everything off 1 - 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 clears 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. [And clean! - ed] 2

    4. Take a Step Back - Most problems occur right after you've just Installed some hardware or software. Try removing the hardware and/or software to see if the problem still occurs.

    5. Make a Backup - Things could get worse, so before it's to late, try to backup your critical files ( documents, spreadsheets. etc. )

    6. Scan for a Virus 3 - Viruses can sometimes cause a problem. Visit http://housecall.antivirus.com [or grc.com] to scan your computer over the web.
TOGGLE Editor's Notes:
    We printed this brief article last February, but thought its suggestions are worth repeating. Don't over complicate problems. Try the simplest solutions first.

Footnotes:

    1 One caution for the absolute beginner. If you have just worked on a file for a couple of hours and run into a problem, try to save your work before shutting off the computer. (See Item 5. above) If you don't save it, or if your program doesn't automatically save every few minutes, your work will be lost. See also, May 2000 TOGGLE Page 3 "486 Slowdown..."

    2 Many a miracle has occurred by the simple action of plugging and unplugging. This action often "cleans" the electrical contact surfaces enough to improve the connection and allow data to flow as intended.

    3 Antivirus, Firewall and Steve Gibson's utility software is available from Librarian Tom Stepanek. Get it! You could save yourself a lot of trouble, and may even avert disaster.
  Number 209 - October 2000