Other small problems

Mouse/Keyboard

Q. My keyboard keys are starting to stick.

A. All you have to do is take off the keys one by one and remove the dust beneath them.  Please note, some keyboards have their keys glued to the base and therefore, cannot be removed.

Q. I'm sick of accidentally pressing the Windows key during games and having it minimize them.

A. Well then, go to www.microsoft.com and download the program 'Kernel Toys'. You'll find a keyboard remap program.  Download it and that pesky Windows key will never bother you again.

Q. When I am typing, different characters appear other than what the keys show.

A. Go to the Control Panel  and double click on Regional Settings.  You've probably got these settings set up incorrectly.  Simply adjust and everything should work perfectly.

Q. My mouse movement isn't very smooth.

A.  Unscrew the bottom cover of your mouse and clean the rollers.  They gradually pick up dust over time.

Q. My mouse movement is very jerky even though the rollers are clean.

A. For this one, you have to take the mouse completely apart and check the wheels connected to the rollers for any dust or excessive grease.  Clean all this and the sensors should be working once more.

Motherboard / RAM

Q. When I turn on my machine, nothing happens.

A. Check that the power supply cable is properly connected to the board and that the same color (usually black) is in the middle for both cables.

Q. My COM and parallel ports are not working

A. Since these ports are integrated into the motherboard for modern machines, the problem could be that the cables are not connected properly or are a bit loose.

Q. I've lost my BIOS password, help?

A.  Using your motherboard, locate the jumper that allows you to rest your BIOS.  Alternatively, take out your BIOS chip by yourself and then replace it.  Make sure your PC is off when you do this.

Q. My CPU doesn't work

A. You can try taking out the CPU blowing into its slot/socket and then replacing it.  Make sure that everything else on the motherboard is set up correctly and connected to the CPU.

Q. I just bought a K6-2 processor and am having difficulty loading Window 95

A. Everything is OK under Win95 OS2, however, under Windows 95, there seems to be this problem.  Download the patch from www.amd.com/products/cpg/k623d/win95_update_k6.html

Q. I've upgraded my RAM and Windows is constantly crashing

A. First, make sure your SIMMs are in pairs. Also, check the speed of your memory (modern ones come in speeds of 60ns). You can slow down your memory through the BIOS or by adjusting certain jumpers. Check your motherboard for this.

Q. I get memory errors on bootup.

A.  When you first start your computer, your BIOS checks your memory to see if anything is wrong with it. If you see any reports here, then jot them down and look into them later. You can try checking that your RAMs are seated properly and aren't touching anything else.

Q. I've added some extra RAM but can't see them in my system.

A. If you're adding DIMMs then you should check your manual to see which bays you should put them in. If you're adding SIMMs, then make sure they are placed in pairs according to what your manual tells you.

Scanners/Printers

Q. I have installed my scanner drivers but am having problems

A. Go to the Windows device manager (Windows Key and Pause) and check for any conflicts.  If you don't find any, go to your Autoexec.bat or Config.sys files and disable (place ; at the beginning of the line) any lines which have to do with 16-bit drivers for your scanner.

Q. My scanner came with no scanning software, what should I use?

A. If your scanner is TWAIN compliant (most are) then you'll be able to use your scanner with many image editing software like MGI Photosuite or Pant Shop Pro.

Q. Should I buy a Parallel ,SCSI, or USB scanner?

A.  Parallel ports are cheaper but much slower than SCSI and USB.  SCSI scanners are speedy and come at a good price.  However, the best you can get in terms of speed would be USB!  If money's not a factor, go for a USB one.

Q. When I reach the desktop my PC freezes right after it recognizes my SCSI scanner!

A. Check Autoexec.bat and Config.sys for any installed 16-bit drivers for your SCSI card.  This is the main reason for the lockups you are facing at start up.

Q. My printer prints a blank page after a job.

A. Open your Printers folder and right click on your Printer.  From the menu that appears click on Properties.  Switch to the General tab and choose None from the Separator Page option.

Q. I have installed a black ink cartridge.  However, when I want to print, I am told that I must have a color cartridge installed.  How can I print?

A.  Go to your Printer's properties and look for any options dealing with ink cartridges.  That's the mostly likely place where you can find the solution to your problem.

Q. I want to install 2 printers but have only 1 parallel port.

A. The best thing is to buy printers that support USB and connect them using your PC's USB hubs.  This makes the process of installing drivers much easier and prevents conflicts.  If you don't have USB hubs, try buying a parallel port switch box which enables you to have up to 3 parallel ports.

Q. How can I tell Windows 98 that my printer is a network printer?

A. Unlike Windows 95, 98 knows when your printer is a network one.  So you don't have to worry about this one.  Just let the ol' Windows handle it.

Q. Should I use spool?

A. Spooling makes printing faster by speeding up the time Windows takes to send your data to the printer.  Open up the Printers folder, right click on your printer and choose Properties.  Switch to the Details tab and then choose Spool Settings.  Then check both Spool print jobs so program finishes printing faster and Start printing after first page is spooled.

Q. When I print graphics, I don't get top quality images.

A. Make sure your graphics are set at the maximum possible resolution supported by your printer (72dpi may look good on-screen, but will look jagged on paper)