When I try to turn on my computer, nothing happens. The power light is not on. What can I do?

Make certain that your computer power cord is snugly plugged in - both to the computer and to a power source. Check the rocker arm on the computer's power supply to ensure that it is in the "On" position. If you are using a surge protector or UPS, make certain that the device is on and that the status indicator light, if any, is green. Temporarily bypass the surge protector or UPS and connect the computer directly to a wall receptacle. If, after checking that you have power to the computer, you find that you still have no lights, your power supply is the likely culprit. If your computer has been exposed to a strong power surge, the surge may have damaged the power supply, components (motherboard, processor, modem, etc.) and peripherals (keyboard, mouse, printer, etc.) connected to the computer.

Why won't my computer boot?

As a general rule, if there is power to the computer, but it will not boot (nothing on screen), one (or more) of the following is the cause:

• Loose or defective memory stick.

• Loose or defective video card.

• Defective motherboard.

• Defective CPU (processor).

I hear a loud, clicking sound when my computer is running and it is starting to lock up on me. What's happening?

A loud, clicking sound and lockups are signs of imminent, physical failure of the hard drive. If you don't have your files backed up, try to do that immediately, since the hard drive may fail completely at any moment. If the hard drive fails completely, your files are irretrievably lost.

I installed a USB (Universal Serial Bus) peripheral (scanner, printer, digital camera). My computer does not recognize it and my system has started to lock up? What is going on?

USB devices must be installed exactly as the directions provide. In many cases, the driver must be installed before you attach the device. After installing the driver and re-booting, you connect the USB device. If the operating system does not recognize the device, try removing it from your system and un-installing the driver. Re-boot. Read the instructions carefully and try again.

My system has only 256MB of RAM. Should I get the cheapest memory that I can find and install it?

No. There are hundreds of different kinds of memory. Memory is like tires. Just as you must match tires and vehicle makes and models, you must determine the specific memory type and speed required by the motherboard. If you don't, the machine may not boot or if it does boot you may not get the full benefit of the additional memory.

How can I determine what programs are running on my computer?

Simultaneously depress the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys to bring up Task Manager. Click on the Processes tab and see all programs that are running in the background. Most Spyware/Adware programs will not show up in the Task Manager. If you use Task Manager to close out programs for diagnostic purposes, you can only select one program at a time to quit. For more advanced users we recommend Process Explorer program to see more information about the running processes.

I deleted some program files. Now, my computer sends strange error messages and locks up. What happened?

The only safe way to remove programs is to use the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs). If you simply delete a program, you may also delete critical system files. In some instances, it is possible to identify the missing system file and copy it from another machine running the same operating system. In other instances, the system file may be machine-specific. If you delete one of these files, you can't copy the file from another machine. Re-formatting the hard drive and re-installing the operating system may be the only available option. We recommend Revo Uninstaller to safely remove installed programs.

I bought a new game, but it won't play on my computer. Why won't it play?

All software, including games, has system requirements. These requirements are in many cases grossly understated, but provide a general guide of the operating system and hardware requirements for a particular piece of software. If the system requirements are Windows98®, 64 MB of system memory and a processor running at 500 MHz and you are running Windows95® with 16 MB of system memory and a 266 MHz processor the software will not run on your machine. Always study the system requirements before purchasing a new piece of software.

I have two computers. One is connected to the Internet using my cable modem. How can I share the connection so that both computers have broadband access?

To effectively share the broadband connection, you will need a router, which is a piece of hardware that sits between your cable (or ADSL) modem and you PCs.