Before You Call the Techie

Your computer isn't working. You go into a panic. Before grabbing your check book, and/or mortgaging your house to gain funds to have it "repaired", let's make sure it is broken.

The first thing to do; take a breath, and ascertain whether or not your computer is plugged in. This is not a joke. In the majority of cases the computer does not turn on because it is not plugged in.

Often cleaners unplug and forget to replug equipment. Sometimes someone steps on a surge protector putting it into the off position.

Wise office managers insure everything is unplugged before s/he leaves. This is a precaution. Electrical storms can cause havoc, and can travel not merely over electrical wires, but phone lines. It is not overreacting to unplug, and some officers lock off electricity to that section of the building when leaving. Insure what you are experiencing is not a failure of your equipment, but a lack of power.

Make certain your equipment is plugged in, and that there is power in the socket. Sockets do fail, so plug equipment into another socket, or an appliance into that socket to insure that there is power. Once certain that there is power in the socket, insure it is getting to your equipment.

Unplug everything from the back of your computer, have a glass of water, then carefully replug. You may find a feeling of "looseness" in a connection, which is some evidence why it doesn't work. Once everything has been plugged into a live socket, and all connections are verified, and your computer does not come on, nor seems to be receiving power, when you call the techie, you can be specific.

Instead of shrieking; "It's not Workin!" you can explain the checks you made, and isolate the problem, so that when the techie arrives, it can be with the replacement part, meaning one visit, not two.

If the computer seems to be getting power, but the monitor is not coming on, make sure the monitor is plugged into a working socket and into the computer. In many cases, the problem is a loose connection. By pulling out and remaking the connection, most problems are solved.

Insure the monitor is turned on. On occasion, monitors have been turned off, hence they are not coming on. Make sure your monitor is on. If there is power in the computer, (lights, noise vibration) and none in the monitor, then the problem is the monitor.

If the monitor has power, but no "picture", insure that the contrast control has not been moved. Many times a cleaner inadvertently moves a dial, or presses a button, and the screen is darkened to such extent you can not see it. If there is power in the monitor, try adjusting the contrast. Make sure the connection from the monitor to the computer is solid. The usual reason why you don't see anything on a screen is because the monitor is not receiving instructions.

In many cases, these checks are sufficient to reveal the problem, and you won't have to call the techie. If you do have to, at least you will be able to give the correct information which can determine the problem.

Although what I have written sounds "silly", the majority of calls to techies are made up of these, as well as jacks not in modems, and my favourite, "no internet on the computer" because the owner has not gotten a provider. ?