15 Problems That Your Plague Your PC
And How to Solve Them


--by Karen Kenworthy, Contributing Editor, Fred Langa, Senior 
Consulting Editor, John Woram, Consulting Editor, Serdar 
Yegulalp, Technology Editor


Is your PC putting a crimp in your productivity? Plug-and-Play 
hardware doesn't want to play? Scanner doesn't feel much like 
scanning? Software apps don't get along well with others? 
Before you start dusting off that electric typewriter, 
dictaphone and adding machine, see how many of those nagging 
problems you can solve right here. With a copy of this article 
on the desk of every PC user in your office, you can put those 
PCs back on OT.

But first, put your PC on a wellness program: Periodically pop 
the cover and wipe down the fans and vents with a lint-free 
cloth. Dust and dirt build up at an alarming rate on power 
supplies, fan intakes and wherever there's controlled airflow. 
Over time, this build-up can choke your system to the point 
where it overheats and dies. Also make sure you defragment your 
hard disk regularly. Otherwise, the more you use it, the slower 
it gets.

When trouble does strike, eliminate the simplest and most 
obvious possibilities first. Make sure all cables, both 
internal and external, are in good condition and that all 
peripherals are plugged in and turned on. Now, on to the 
problems, starting with hardware.


 1998 Windows Magazine, April 1999, Page 112.