| Here is a small collection of our most
common problems with the solutions that will normally help.
 Hardware / Software issues - PC troubleshooting
tips
No Power to PC
Power
but no display on starting up
Cannot
hear some or any sounds
Cannot
hear or record from a microphone
Unable to print (parallel
port printer)
Unable
to print (USB printer)
Cannot read a floppy disk
Joystick not controlling
games
Cannot
read from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
The
computer seems to be randomly crashing
Advanced
Power Management features are not functioning or causing errors
Modem
drops the connection / Broadband down
Reports
‘Non system disk’ on starting up
Noisy
CD-ROM / DVD drive
Noisy
PC
Cannot
hear CD audio
No Power to PC
• Check the fuse in the power cable.
• Is there power to the monitor?
• Try the monitor power cable to the PC instead.
• Try holding the power button in for a number of seconds.
• Disconnect from the mains for a few minutes and then retry.
• Try powering up without anything other than the mains connected
to the PC.
• Test the mains supply with another electrical appliance.
• If confident, consult an Sort IT technician for advice on checking
that all cabling and components inside the machine are
secure.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Power but no display on starting up
• Whilst turning on hold down the BIOS bypass key if supported-
(usually this is the DEL key).
• If the PC emits a series of beeps on powering up check motherboard
information for the alarm explanation. Alarms normally
suggest that a component has come loose inside. If confident, consult
an Sort IT Systems technician for advice on re-seating
internal cards, CPU and memory.
• If an additional component has been added, get the system back
to as it was when previously working by removing it
and then retry.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Cannot hear some or any sounds
• Check that the speakers volume control is raised and that there
is power to them.
• Are the speakers plugged into the speaker / line out socket of
the sound card? Try the speakers in all possible sound
sockets.
• Double click the speaker/mixer symbol next to the clock and check
that all volume controls are raised, selected and not
muted. Balance controls should all be centered. If the symbol is not present,
click Start | Programs | Accessories | Entertainment
and choose Volume Control from the list.
• Try the speakers from another audio device or from the front of
the CD ROM (play an audio CD).
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Cannot hear or record from a microphone
• Double click the speaker/mixer symbol next to the clock and check
that the microphone playback and recording controls
are raised, selected and not muted. If the symbol is not present, click
Start | Programs | Accessories | Entertainment and choose Volume
Control from the list.
• Check that the microphone is plugged into the sound cards ‘mic’
socket and not the modem (if present). Try all sound
sockets.
• If possible, try another microphone. Microphones of 650 ohms are
recommended for Creative Labs soundcards/chips.
• Test the microphone with another audio device.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Unable to print (parallel port printer)
• Check that the cable connection between the printer and the computer
is secure.
• Ensure that there is power to the printer, restart the PC and
try printing again.
• Check that the correct printer is selected in the software being
printed from.
• Does the printer perform a self-test? Check the printer manual
for information and further specific trouble- shooting
procedures.
• Has the printer software been installed as described in the printer
instruction manual? Try reinstalling this.
• Go to CMOS setup and check that the parallel port mode is set
correctly for your printer- usually EPP or ECP.
• Some printers require an IEEE 1284 standard printer cable to enable
bi-directional communication. Does your printer manual
state this as a requirement?
• Are any other devices connected to the parallel (printer) port?
Uninstall these, connect the printer directly and test.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Unable to print (USB printer)
• Check that the cable connection between the printer and the computer
is secure.
• Ensure that there is power to the printer, restart the PC and
try printing again.
• Check that the correct printer is selected in the software being
printed from.
• Does the printer perform a self-test? Check the printer manual
for information and further specific trouble- shooting
procedures.
• Has the printer software been installed as described in the printer
instruction manual? Try reinstalling this.
• Click Start | Settings | Control Panel and double click on the
System icon in the Control Panel. Select the Device
Manager tab. Are there any USB or Other Devices listed or devices with
a conflict? Conflicts are indicated by coloured symbols
next to the device.
• If using the printer off a USB hub, try it off the USB ports on
the machine (known as the root hub).
• If using the printer on a motherboard's USB port make sure the
USB port is enabled in the BIOS and that any filter
driver (VIA chipsets), that may be required, has been loaded.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Cannot read floppy
• Check with another floppy disk.
• Is the disk inserted all of the way into the drive? The eject
button will pop out when fully inserted.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Joystick not controlling games
• Ensure the joystick is connected firmly to the game port. If
another device is connected to the game port, remove
it and try the joystick plugged in directly.
• Click Start | Settings | Control Panel and double click Game Controllers
(Windows98). Ensure one joystick is listed and the status
is 'Connected' (use the Add and Remove buttons to get to this situation).
Refer to the joystick manual for the correct model to
be installed or try as a standard 2 axis 2 button.
• With the joystick listed as 'Connected' choose Properties and
click the Test tab. Check that the screen responds to
the joystick.
• Ensure that the game itself is set to use a joystick as the input
device. Refer to the game documentation for specific
information on how to set this up.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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Cannot read from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
• Click Start | Settings | Control Panel and double click on System.
Choose the Device manager tab and check for conflicts
(indicated by a coloured symbol). Click the Performance tab and check
that it reports ‘Your system is configured for
optimal performance’.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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The computer seems to be randomly crashing
• Is there any particular operation that seems to make it crash
e.g. printing, using modem, using a certain piece of
software, when the PC is inactive? If so, try reinstalling the associated
components.
• Are there any conflicts reported in device manager ? - Click Start
| Settings | Control Panel and then double click on
the System icon. Choose the Device Manager tab. Conflicts are indicated
by coloured symbols next to the device.
• Run Scandisk and Disk Defragmenter by clicking Start | Programs
| Accessories | System Tools.
• Are any programs constantly running in the background e.g. virus
protectors? – try uninstalling any of these or
press CTRL-ALT-Delete on the keyboard for a list of currently running
programs.
• Consult an Sort
IT technician for further info!
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