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Do I possess magic powers?

No, not really, but some people wonder… I think the wondering is actually a mixture of bewilderment, awe, and a slight hint of envy. I think the same thoughts when I watch Rachel Ray cook, an electrician wire, my Dad build stuff, Eric Clapton play his guitar, and a gear head work on a car. All these people are good at what they do because of two reasons: it's what they do, and they enjoy doing it. It amazes me that people look at the work I do and are amazed at how swiftly I can work through a problem or hunt something down on the Internet…it's what I do, and I enjoy doing it.

You have heard Adam and I talk about it often that for some reason computer users feel like they need to know everything about their computer including the troubleshooting and securing of it. The reality is that computers are as specialized a piece of machinery as you can buy today. Anyone can sit down and use a computer, but few have the knowledge to know how to make it work and act the way it should and there is nothing wrong with that. I can't fix and keep my cars running the way they should, so I have to resort to repair shops…I don't necessarily like it, but I don't have a choice either. My aptitude for fixing cars is low, and my time to learn that skill is nil.

I prefer the passenger’s seat

My business is now in its 11th year, and I still prefer sitting next to my customers than in the captain's seat. If I'm troubleshooting a problem or installing new software or hardware, I have no problem sitting in front of the computer. However, I get the most satisfaction from sitting to the side, guiding my client's through tasks they want to learn and writing down step-by-step notes that I leave for them when we finish.

Very few people learn from simply watching someone else. And watching a knowledgeable computer user whip through a routine they have performed hundreds of times frustrates the learner even further. I recognize and appreciate that; which is why I prefer to sit in the passenger's seat when I am helping computer users.

I’m not going to tell your kids what to do but…

I had one of my longest appointments ever today as I cleaned a computer free of almost 15,000 viruses, setup a network, installed a wireless card, removed bad security software and replaced it with AVG, did troubleshooting on a fax machine problem and installed Firefox.

I even left for lunch and to another appointment for a while. The appointment took 5 hours not counting virus scans (I went to lunch and another appointment once I saw that there were more than 500 viruses.)

Of course my client was curious how so many viruses got on the computer. I had to explain that it was all caused by infected files that were downloaded through a file sharing program.

Using “Run” to get places

If you have listened to the show much, you have probably heard us tell people to go into "msconfig." This tip works in Windows XP for sure, but some commands may not work in other versions of Windows.

msconfig is one run command that takes you into the Microsoft Configuration Utility, but there are other handy run commands, here are most of them.

To use any of these click on START -> RUN and type the word or phrase in the box provided.

Add Hardware Wizard
hdwwiz.cpl

Add/Remove Programs
appwiz.cpl

Automatic Updates
wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Transfer Wizard
fsquirt

Time heals many wounds

Especially computer wounds.

I don't have a three ring binder full of policies for my business, but one policy I do have is that I don't answer my phone when I'm working with a customer. The companion to that policy is that I ALWAYS return my calls. Because I book a pretty tight day, I check my messages and return calls while in transit between clients which usually amounts to no more than 15 or so minutes of phone calls.

I return calls in the order I receive them which leads to some calls getting returned up to four or five hours after they were left. A significant (maybe 30-40%) of those calls have their problems resolved by the time I call. Why? Two reasons by my estimation and query: the user relaxes a little and finds the button, menu, or misssing file or they restart the computer.

These are two methods we teach in our Computer Troubleshooting class…which we will be teaching again soon so keep an eye on the site. I love when these problems get solved this way because I feel like my mission of giving computer users fishing poles instead of fish is working.

Traveling with wireless Internet

If you travel with a laptop computer and like to use wireless Internet at hotesl, coffee shops and libraries, it helps to know a simple troubleshooting technique or two for finicky wireless connections.

  1. Make sure your wireless access is enabled. Many laptops have a button or switch that shuts the wireless network off. 
  2. Restart your computer. Many times, restarting the computer will allow the connection to happen.
  3. If still no connection, talk to someone in the building about your problem and ask them to restart their wireless router. If they aren't sure how, you can let them know that simply unplugging the power from the back of the router and then plugging it back in will do it. Takes about 20 seconds.

These three techniques will get you out of a jam more often than not and make you a happy wireless Internet traveler.

Computer BIOS

bios1

Many times on the show we guide people to the computer BIOS for troubleshooting some problems. BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. The BIOS, speaking very simply, controls and monitors the hardware on our computers. Keyboards, mice, hard drives, CDROM drives, the date and time (from the CMOS chip), and more all get inventoried and controlled via the BIOS. Think of the BIOS as the parts manager of your computer. The software written to monitor our hardware is stored on a flash memory chip inside the computer. Occasionally, hardware malfunctions or conflicts can be resolved by changing settings in the BIOS. Some hardware upgrades (new memory chips, video cards) may require an upgrade to the BIOS through a process known as flashing the BIOS.

Two of the most common functions why you might access your system's BIOS are changing the boot order to allow a CD or other device to boot before a hard drive or supplying a security password to lock your computer.

Unfortunately, the BIOS and the way we access the BIOS is far from standardized. Any of the following keyboard keys can invoke the BIOS (sometimes referred to as system setup): F1, F2, F10, F12, Del, Esc, or Ins. Once in the BIOS, you must use the keyboard to navigate the menus and change the settings. Again, this isn't standardized either and there are at least a dozen implementations of the BIOS interface. I have included two of the most common BIOS screens in this tip.

Because there are so many different configurations and ways of accessing BIOS, I've included some of the better tutorials regarding the subject on the web. Also, make sure you read your computer's documentation or visit the manufacturers web site for even more specific information.

bios2

 

 

Watch the lights

Since many of us are now using high speed connections to the Internet, we run into new problems. A customer of mine called me today and said she couldn't get email any more. When I asked if she was connected to the Internet, she thought she was. Knowing she had DSL, I asked how many lights were on the DSL modem (thingy from the phone company that connects the computer to the Internet with a cable running from phone line to it, and then another cable from it to the computer). She saw three lights on her particular modem, an Actiontec, which should have a minimum of four lights on it.

The solution:  unplug the power from the modem for about fifteen or so seconds, plug it back in and wait for about a minute or so until the four (or five if wirelss is enabled) light up. We waited, she checked her email and presto, it worked.

Routers gone bad

Over the past month, I have encountered at least six bad routers. A router is a device that can be used to share high speed computer access to multiple computers either through Ethernet cabling or wirelessly. I'm not exactly sure what is happening, but I almost feel as if there is a correlation to the recent rash of router failures. I just don't know what that correlation is. It also doesn't seem to be related to a particular brand of routers. I have seen failed Linksys, Belkin, D-Link, and other brands or routers as well.

If you are using a high speed connection and you lose Internet connectivity, first follow my tip on troubleshooting high speed connections .

Why I don’t like custom built computers

I have seen a lot of custom built computers lately. By custom built, I don’t mean Dells or HPs that are ordered custom configured. I am referring to computers that are built by friends, family members or computer shops using parts that are purchased separately then assembled like an Erector set.

Most computer geeks will likely prefer custom built comptuers because the parts are non-proprietary and they can be more easily worked on. These are valid arguements, but I will argue that most custom builts need worked on more often than off the shelf systems.

When you buy a custom built computer there are a few factors to consider.